CEN13LA243

The pilot reported that the purpose of the accident flight, which consisted of several practice takeoffs and landings, was to become better acquainted with the flying characteristics of the tailwheel-equipped airplane that he had recently purchased. The accident occurred during a full-stop landing on the hard-surface runway. The pilot reported that he made an uneventful approach and a three-point touchdown on the runway centerline; however, during the landing roll, the airplane suddenly veered to the left. The pilot stated that he was unable to regain directional control and that the airplane departed the left side of the runway and nosed over. Postaccident examinations of the airplane, including a functional test of the tailwheel assembly, established that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. In the absence of a mechanical cause for the sudden veer experienced during landing roll, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain directional control of the airplane after touchdown which resulted in the ground-loop and runway excursion.

On April 28, 2013, at 0950 mountain daylight time, a Cessna model 195B airplane, N4420C, was substantially damaged while landing at Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG), Albuquerque, New Mexico. The private pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, without a flight plan. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that departed KAEG about 0900. The pilot reported that the purpose of the accident flight, which consisted of several practice takeoff-and-landings, was to become better acquainted with the flying characteristics of the tailwheel-equipped airplane that he had recently purchased. The pilot reported having about 3 hours of flight experience in the accident airplane make/model. The accident occurred during a full-stop landing on runway 22 (7,398 feet by 100 feet, asphalt). The pilot reported that he made an uneventful approach and three-point touchdown on the runway centerline; however, about 500-600 feet into the landing roll the airplane suddenly veered to the left. The pilot stated that he was unable to regain directional control and that the airplane subsequently departed the left side of the runway before nosing over. The aircraft fuselage and wings were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintenance inspector examined the airplane multiple times following the accident and confirmed flight control continuity. Additionally, no anomalies or mechanical discontinuities were identified with the tailwheel locking assembly during a functional test. The FAA inspector did not identify any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. At 0950, the KAEG automated surface observing system reported the following weather conditions: wind 030 degrees true at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky clear, temperature 17 degrees Celsius, dew point -14 degrees Celsius, altimeter setting 30.16 inches of mercury.