20250808011459A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 140 · Rangeley, ME · August 8, 2025

Date: August 8, 2025 · 10:00 local
Place: Rangeley, ME
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N89351
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA25LA304
Reported as: Cessna 140
Reported engine: Continental C85 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Student
Pilot’s flight hours: 47 total11 in this make and model9 in the last 90 days

N89351Registered now · Cessna 140S/N 8379 Airframe modelCessna 140 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.

Aircraft departed Rangeley airport (8BO) to perform touch and go's at same airport. PIC stated that upon touchdown on runway 14 at 65 mph aircraft began to bounce. PIC elected to perform a go-around. As PIC began go-around procedures the aircraft bounced again and was pointing off runway. PIC stated that he felt the aircraft did not have enough lift to take-off and elected to cut power and coast through the field on the side of the runway. While coasting through the field the aircraft struck a burm causing the aircraft to jump. PIC suspects that when the tail hit the burm it caused the aircraft to flip over. After the aircraft flipped over the PIC shutdown the aircraft and exited with no injuries. Aircraft suffered substantial damage to vertical stabilizer. Iic observed structural creases on the fuselage aft of the left main landing gear strut indicating substantial impact. Right hand wing struts were also bent due to aircraft flipping over.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RANGELEY AIRPORT (8BO) TO PERFORM TOUCH AND GO'S AT SAME AIRPORT. PIC STATED THAT UPON TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 14 AT 65 MPH AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO BOUNCE. PIC ELECTED TO PERFORM A GO-AROUND. AS PIC BEGAN GO-AROUND PROCEDURES THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AGAIN AND WAS POINTING OFF RUNWAY. PIC STATED THAT HE FELT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH LIFT TO TAKE-OFF AND ELECTED TO CUT POWER AND COAST THROUGH THE FIELD ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. WHILE COASTING THROUGH THE FIELD THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BURM CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO JUMP. PIC SUSPECTS THAT WHEN THE TAIL HIT THE BURM IT CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER THE PIC SHUTDOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND EXITED WITH NO INJURIES. AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO VERTICAL STABILIZER. IIC OBSERVED STRUCTURAL CREASES ON THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT INDICATING SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT. RIGHT HAND WING STRUTS WERE ALSO BENT DUE TO AIRCRAFT FLIPPING OVER.

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 ERA25LA304Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportRangeley, METhe pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose over.Aug 8, 2025 · Substantial damage