- Date
- April 28, 2014, 13:40 local (21:40 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N77336Cessna 120
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA Fairbanks FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140428006549A
- Case key
- 89136
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing, resulting in a ground loop.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing her tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, asphalt runway. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot stated that she applied right rudder to correct for the veer, but over corrected, and the airplane ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing her tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, asphalt runway. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot stated that she applied right rudder to correct for the veer, but over corrected, and the airplane ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77336
- Reported as
- Cessna 120 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11778
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 2,045
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 28, 2014 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- FAI · Fairbanks Intl, runway 20L, 6,501 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 8, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 139 in this make and model · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.72 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 2, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 377 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N77336 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.