What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This accident involved a Cessna C175 operating under part 91. The flight was conducted as a currency flight for privacy data omitted, a private pilot, flying with a CFI. Departure was from kcoe, maneuvering was accomplished north of the airport, and pilots returned to kcoe for landings. After the final landing rollout, when approaching a taxiway, the owner pressed on the brakes and the aircraft abruptly turned to the right. Both pilots described the sensation as if the right main gear was locked in place, with the aircraft pivoting around it. With little time to react, the pilots were unable to control the 270-degree turn, during which the aircraft struck the ground on the left wing and left side of the elevator. Damage is substantial, no injuries to the pilots. Spokane FSDO airworthiness pmi inspected the aircraft and wrote the following:
privacy data omitted Cessna 175 observations from onsite visit. Observed left outboard wing and aileron damage with structural damage with upward bending to the main and aft spars. Wrinkling also bent upper and lower wing surfaces. Damage to left wing tip. Left horizontal stabilizer and left elevator damage with upward bending mid-span of both upper and lower sheet metal skin surfaces including structural internal bending. The right main conventional landing gear leg at the aft lower outboard attach points fractured away from the fuselage bulkhead at the clamp/cuff bolt end. Aluminum attach brackets and nut/bolt remained attached to the lower bracket that failed and were still attached to the forward outboard bracket. Structural upper and lower plates of sheet metal used across fuselage interior and belly of aircraft to bulk up gear area bulkheads making visual inspection not possible without removal requiring the aircraft jacking and shoring. Right main brake operated normal with no dragging or binding. Light braking action normal.
The accident is being investigted by the NTSB as a suspected mechanical failure. The report is closed at this time and will be re-opened and updated if any new information conflicts with the main causal factor determined as mechanical failure.
As the FAA filed it
THIS ACCIDENT INVOLVED A CESSNA C175 OPERATING UNDER PART 91. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AS A CURRENCY FLIGHT FOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PRIVATE PILOT, FLYING WITH A CFI. DEPARTURE WAS FROM KCOE, MANEUVERING WAS ACCOMPLISHED NORTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND PILOTS RETURNED TO KCOE FOR LANDINGS. AFTER THE FINAL LANDING ROLLOUT, WHEN APPROACHING A TAXIWAY, THE OWNER PRESSED ON THE BRAKES AND THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY TURNED TO THE RIGHT. BOTH PILOTS DESCRIBED THE SENSATION AS IF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS LOCKED IN PLACE, WITH THE AIRCRAFT PIVOTING AROUND IT. WITH LITTLE TIME TO REACT, THE PILOTS WERE UNABLE TO CONTROL THE 270-DEGREE TURN, DURING WHICH THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND ON THE LEFT WING AND LEFT SIDE OF THE ELEVATOR. DAMAGE IS SUBSTANTIAL, NO INJURIES TO THE PILOTS. SPOKANE FSDO AIRWORTHINESS PMI INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT AND WROTE THE FOLLOWING:
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CESSNA 175 OBSERVATIONS FROM ONSITE VISIT. OBSERVED LEFT OUTBOARD WING AND AILERON DAMAGE WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WITH UPWARD BENDING TO THE MAIN AND AFT SPARS. WRINKLING ALSO BENT UPPER AND LOWER WING SURFACES. DAMAGE TO LEFT WING TIP.LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND LEFT ELEVATOR DAMAGE WITH UPWARD BENDING MID-SPAN OF BOTH UPPER AND LOWER SHEET METAL SKIN SURFACES INCLUDING STRUCTURAL INTERNAL BENDING. THE RIGHT MAIN CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR LEG AT THE AFT LOWER OUTBOARD ATTACH POINTS FRACTURED AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE BULKHEAD AT THE CLAMP/CUFF BOLT END. ALUMINUM ATTACH BRACKETS AND NUT/BOLT REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE LOWER BRACKET THAT FAILED AND WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE FORWARD OUTBOARD BRACKET. STRUCTURAL UPPER AND LOWER PLATES OF SHEET METAL USED ACROSS FUSELAGE INTERIOR AND BELLY OF AIRCRAFT TO BULK UP GEAR AREA BULKHEADS MAKING VISUAL INSPECTION NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT REMOVAL REQUIRING THE AIRCRAFT JACKING AND SHORING. RIGHT MAIN BRAKE OPERATED NORMAL WITH NO DRAGGING OR BINDING. LIGHT BRAKING ACTION NORMAL.
THE ACCIDENT IS BEING INVESTIGTED BY THE NTSB AS A SUSPECTED MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE REPORT IS CLOSED AT THIS TIME AND WILL BE RE-OPENED AND UPDATED IF ANY NEW INFORMATION CONFLICTS WITH THE MAIN CAUSAL FACTOR DETERMINED AS MECHANICAL FAILURE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9235B · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.