Event LAX95LA308

Factual narrative

On August 27, 1995, at 1420 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 150M, N66758, collided with the ground and runway signs during landing at the John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, California. The aircraft was owned and operated by Christian Flight Institute, Inc., of Orange, California, and was rented by the student pilot for a local area solo instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft incurred substantial damage. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated at the John Wayne Airport on the day of the accident at 1415. In his written statement, the student reported that he was performing traffic pattern touch-and-go operations. On final for runway 19L he observed a Boeing 737 crossing the extended final approach path on a perpendicular taxiway. The taxiway crosses about 500 feet prior to runway 19L's approach end. The student said he added some power to ensure that he had sufficient vertical clearance from the area of jet exhaust turbulence, then resumed his approach to the runway with the addition of full flaps. As the aircraft neared the touchdown point, it suddenly developed a high sink rate and began drifting to the left. The pilot said he added full power to go around, but neglected to turn off the carburetor heat and raise the flaps. The aircraft did not climb and continued drifting left off the runway until the nose gear struck a runway sign. The aircraft then impacted on the right wing tip and nose on the runway. THE STUDENT REPORTED THAT HE WAS PERFORMING TRAFFIC PATTERN TOUCH-AND-GO OPERATIONS. ON FINAL FOR RUNWAY 19L, HE OBSERVED A BOEING 737 CROSSING THE EXTENDED FINAL APPROACH PATH ON A PERPENDICULAR TAXIWAY. THE TAXIWAY CROSSED ABOUT 500 FEET PRIOR TO THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 19L. THE STUDENT SAID HE ADDED SOME POWER TO ENSURE THAT HE HAD SUFFICIENT VERTICAL CLEARANCE FROM THE AREA OF JET EXHAUST/TURBULENCE, THEN RESUMED HIS APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY WITH THE ADDITION OF FULL FLAPS. AS THE AIRCRAFT NEARED THE TOUCHDOWN POINT, IT SUDDENLY DEVELOPED A HIGH SINK RATE AND BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT SAID HE ADDED FULL POWER TO GO AROUND, BUT NEGLECTED TO TURN OFF THE CARBURETOR HEAT AND RAISE THE FLAPS. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT CLIMB AND CONTINUED DRIFTING LEFT OFF THE RUNWAY UNTIL THE NOSE GEAR STRUCK A RUNWAY SIGN. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED ON THE RIGHT WING TIP AND NOSE ON THE RUNWAY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12