What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 7/30/23 at Laconia airport (lci) at 2039 hours local time a Cessna 195 aircraft sustained substantial damage after veering off runway 26 during rollout after landing. The pilot in command (PIC) and sole occupant of the aircraft sustained minor injury. The aircraft was a conventional landing gear airplane and was operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight. Weather at lci at the time of the accident was calm wind, 10 miles visibility, clear skies, with a temperature and dewpoint of 16 and 13 respectively. Sunset was approximately 2006 hours local time.
The airplane came to rest in the grass on the northern edge of runway 26 just prior to foxtrot taxiway. The airplane was facing north, northeast and the left wing was resting on the ground. The left wheel and strut was folded under the fuselage of the airplane and the left wing tip was damaged and bent upwards. The left forward fuselage was wrinkled in several places. The propeller exhibited damage to the tips of all blades. A single skid mark on runway 26 following the path of the left wheel indicated skid of the left tire. A long gouge in the pavement just prior to the grass indicated collapse of the landing gear just prior to the grass. No other skid marks or damage to the runways was noted. Marks in the sod to the north of the runway indicated the airplane departed the runway travelling almost in a sideways direction.
The pilot reported the flight was the last in a multi leg series of flights originating in Ohio and reported personal stress in the form of pressure from a spouse to return home. The pilot had no recent night takeoff and landing experience in any aircraft. The pilot reported logging over 900 flight hours in the accident airplane.
The pilot reported that after rollout on landing the airplane veered suddenly to the right and he was not able to regain control. The pilot was not sure of the reason for the right yaw and did not report any pre accident mechanical issues.
Based on the information available I determined that the primary operational factor was the pilot’s improper control inputs during rollout causing a rapid turn to the right which could not be corrected with full left rudder and braking. A contributing factor was the pic’s fatigue after a long day of flying and a week of sleeping in uncomfortable lodging in hot weather. An additional contributing factor was stress on the PIC to return home quickly due to a personal situation. Finally, a third contributing factor was the pic’s lack of recent experience during dusk and night time conditions, including night takeoff and landing experience.
This investigation did not reveal any regulatory deviations but did reveal a non-regulatory safety concern based on the operation factor and contributing factors.
As the FAA filed it
ON 7/30/23 AT LACONIA AIRPORT (LCI) AT 2039 HOURS LOCAL TIME A CESSNA 195 AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER VEERING OFF RUNWAY 26 DURING ROLLOUT AFTER LANDING. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS A CONVENTIONAL LANDING GEAR AIRPLANE AND WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. WEATHER AT LCI AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CALM WIND, 10 MILES VISIBILITY, CLEAR SKIES, WITH A TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT OF 16 AND 13 RESPECTIVELY. SUNSET WAS APPROXIMATELY 2006 HOURS LOCAL TIME.
THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS ON THE NORTHERN EDGE OF RUNWAY 26 JUST PRIOR TO FOXTROT TAXIWAY. THE AIRPLANE WAS FACING NORTH, NORTHEAST AND THE LEFT WING WAS RESTING ON THE GROUND. THE LEFT WHEEL AND STRUT WAS FOLDED UNDER THE FUSELAGE OF THE AIRPLANE AND THE LEFT WING TIP WAS DAMAGED AND BENT UPWARDS. THE LEFT FORWARD FUSELAGE WAS WRINKLED IN SEVERAL PLACES. THE PROPELLER EXHIBITED DAMAGE TO THE TIPS OF ALL BLADES. A SINGLE SKID MARK ON RUNWAY 26 FOLLOWING THE PATH OF THE LEFT WHEEL INDICATED SKID OF THE LEFT TIRE. A LONG GOUGE IN THE PAVEMENT JUST PRIOR TO THE GRASS INDICATED COLLAPSE OF THE LANDING GEAR JUST PRIOR TO THE GRASS. NO OTHER SKID MARKS OR DAMAGE TO THE RUNWAYS WAS NOTED. MARKS IN THE SOD TO THE NORTH OF THE RUNWAY INDICATED THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED THE RUNWAY TRAVELLING ALMOST IN A SIDEWAYS DIRECTION.
THE PILOT REPORTED THE FLIGHT WAS THE LAST IN A MULTI LEG SERIES OF FLIGHTS ORIGINATING IN OHIO AND REPORTED PERSONAL STRESS IN THE FORM OF PRESSURE FROM A SPOUSE TO RETURN HOME. THE PILOT HAD NO RECENT NIGHT TAKEOFF AND LANDING EXPERIENCE IN ANY AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT REPORTED LOGGING OVER 900 FLIGHT HOURS IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER ROLLOUT ON LANDING THE AIRPLANE VEERED SUDDENLY TO THE RIGHT AND HE WAS NOT ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. THE PILOT WAS NOT SURE OF THE REASON FOR THE RIGHT YAW AND DID NOT REPORT ANY PRE ACCIDENT MECHANICAL ISSUES.
BASED ON THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE I DETERMINED THAT THE PRIMARY OPERATIONAL FACTOR WAS THE PILOT’S IMPROPER CONTROL INPUTS DURING ROLLOUT CAUSING A RAPID TURN TO THE RIGHT WHICH COULD NOT BE CORRECTED WITH FULL LEFT RUDDER AND BRAKING. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE PIC’S FATIGUE AFTER A LONG DAY OF FLYING AND A WEEK OF SLEEPING IN UNCOMFORTABLE LODGING IN HOT WEATHER. AN ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS STRESS ON THE PIC TO RETURN HOME QUICKLY DUE TO A PERSONAL SITUATION. FINALLY, A THIRD CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE PIC’S LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE DURING DUSK AND NIGHT TIME CONDITIONS, INCLUDING NIGHT TAKEOFF AND LANDING EXPERIENCE.
THIS INVESTIGATION DID NOT REVEAL ANY REGULATORY DEVIATIONS BUT DID REVEAL A NON-REGULATORY SAFETY CONCERN BASED ON THE OPERATION FACTOR AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
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 N9855A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.