Cessna 120 N76646

Summary

On 3 January 2022 at about 20:05 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N76646, operated by Nextgen Flight Academy Inc, was involved in an accident near Upland, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 January 2022 at 20:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Upland, California, United States

Nearest airport

Cable (CCB)

Coordinates

34.1116, -117.6874

Aircraft

Cessna 120

Registration

N76646

Category

Airplane

Year built

1946

Engines

1

Operator

Nextgen Flight Academy Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Riverside → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR22LA072

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s loss of airplane control during a go-around as it encountered wake turbulence from a slow hover taxiing helicopter.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tail wheeled-equipped airplane reported that, he was on an approach to land at an uncontrolled airport behind two helicopters. An airport surveillance video showed the accident airplane flying over the runway about 20 seconds after a helicopter was in a slow hover taxi adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported that he saw the helicopter and decided to land long to maintain separation. He added that while on short final, he saw a helicopter “cross” the runway, so he increased engine power to full and attempted a go-around. About one-third of the way down the length of the runway, the airplane encountered the helicopter’s downwash, and the airplane entered an uncommanded steep right bank. The pilot applied opposite aileron, but he was not able to maintain control of the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane impacted right of the runway and sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. According to Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular No. 90-23G, Aircraft Wake Turbulence, “pilots should avoid taxiing or flying within a distance of three rotor diameters of a helicopter hovering or in a slow hover taxi, as the downwash can contain high wind speeds. Figure 1. Except of Helicopter Vortices Figure from AC 90-23G

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.