YAKOVLEV YAK-50 accident at Watsonville, CA, 20 Sept 2024

On September 20, 2024, a YAKOVLEV YAK-50 was involved in an aviation accident near Watsonville, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The Yak-50 pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from another airplane while taxiing and maneuvering. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inattention due to a distraction inside the cockpit. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.