ATL95LA002

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 188 · Covington, TN · October 1, 1994

Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
October 1, 1994, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
Place
Covington, TN
Injuries
1 serious
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N731PSCessna 188
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report May 4, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19941001032459A
Case key
3491

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Ground loop/swerve - inadvertentPilot in command
Main gear collapsedLanding - roll
Landing gear,main gear - overload
Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skidLanding - roll

Analysis

The pilot overshot the centerline of the prepared runway and landed in the grass adjacent to the runway. During the landing roll the airplane groundlooped, breaking off the right main landing gear, and dragging the wing on the ground. He reported that the rudder had not responded to his attempts to correct the overshoot. An inspection of the rudder system showed that it was functional. The brake pad was not excessively worn, and the severed wheel brake line did not exhibit any pre-impact damage.

Factual narrative

On October 1, 1994, about 1700 central daylight time, a Cessna 188, N731PS, groundlooped during the landing roll at Covington, Tennessee. The airplane was operated by Baker Flying Service under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 137, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A flight plan was not filed for the aerial application flight. There were serious injuries to the commercial pilot, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Origination of the flight was Covington, Tennessee, about 1615.

The pilot reported that the airplane veered left during the landing and that the right rudder pedal and brake did not operate to oppose the divergent ground path. An inspector from the Tennessee Flight Standards District Office, Memphis, Tennessee, spoke with the pilot, and examined the accident site and the airplane, after the accident. He reported that the pilot said he was attempting to land on the runway, and overshot it. The airplane landed in the grass beside the runway. Tire tracks showed a normal landing roll, until about the last 700 feet where the tracks showed the airplane veered left, then entered a skid, breaking off the right main landing gear at the attachment point. The right wing then, struck the ground. According to the inspector, the rudder pedal, rudder cable, and rudder functioned. The brake pad did not exhibit excessive wear and the hydraulic line did not exhibit any pre-impact failure.

Aircraft

Registration
N731PS
Reported as
Cessna 188
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18803053
Airframe hours
4,551
Engine
Continental IO-520-D(26), 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Aerial application · Part 137
Operator
Baker Flying Service
Registered owner
Ben Baker
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal; Standard, Transport; Special, Restricted (Special)
Last inspection
Annual · March 17, 1994 · 242 hours before
Departed
M04
Destination
M04 · TN
Airport
M04 · Covington Municipal

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
47
Certificates
Student, Foreign, Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Center
Flight hours
3,696 total · 1,627 in this make and model · 200 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
Calm
Visibility
7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
86 °F, dew point 59 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
NQA, 19 nm away

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.