20201117017249A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 120 · Johnson City, KS · November 17, 2020

Date: November 17, 2020 · 14:35 local
Place: Johnson City, KS
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N2376N
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN21LA062
Reported as: Cessna 120
Reported engine: Continental C85 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 393 total41 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N2376NRegistered now · Cessna 120S/N 12625 Airframe modelCessna 120 Engine modelContinental C85 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

While visiting family,the pilot landed at jhn and fueled aircraft. He then taxied to runway 17 and then departed the area to the east and saw a family member working in a field. He decided to perform a flyby from the north to the south. He then began making a low level left turn to the east over a field which was soft and beginning to sprout. When he felt the left wing began to drop toward the ground, he immediately imputed full right aileron at which point the left wing began dragging on the ground, followed by the engine/propeller impacting the ground. The aircraft then continued rotating left at which point the right main landing gear separated the aircraft and the outboard right wing impacted ground. The aircraft then continued sliding to a stop. The airplane remained intact except for the right main landing gear. The pilot and passenger exited the airplane through the doors. The weather was nice with excellent visibility. The wind was blowing from the south and gusting to 25KTS

As the FAA filed it

WHILE VISITING FAMILY,THE PILOT LANDED AT JHN AND FUELED AIRCRAFT. HE THEN TAXIED TO RUNWAY 17 AND THEN DEPARTED THE AREA TO THE EAST AND SAW A FAMILY MEMBER WORKING IN A FIELD. HE DECIDED TO PERFORM A FLYBY FROM THE NORTH TO THE SOUTH. HE THEN BEGAN MAKING A LOW LEVEL LEFT TURN TO THE EAST OVER A FIELD WHICH WAS SOFT AND BEGINNING TO SPROUT. WHEN HE FELT THE LEFT WING BEGAN TO DROP TOWARD THE GROUND, HE IMMEDIATELY IMPUTED FULL RIGHT AILERON AT WHICH POINT THE LEFT WING BEGAN DRAGGING ON THE GROUND, FOLLOWED BY THE ENGINE/PROPELLER IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTINUED ROTATING LEFT AT WHICH POINT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE OUTBOARD RIGHT WING IMPACTED GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTINUED SLIDING TO A STOP. THE AIRPLANE REMAINED INTACT EXCEPT FOR THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRPLANE THROUGH THE DOORS. THE WEATHER WAS NICE WITH EXCELLENT VISIBILITY. THE WIND WAS BLOWING FROM THE SOUTH AND GUSTING TO 25KTS

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN21LA062Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportJohnson City, KSThe pilot’s improper decision to fly the airplane at too low an altitude resulting in the airplane impacting terrain.Nov 17, 2020 · Substantial damage