- Date
- May 27, 2014, 17:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wadsworth, OH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2774NCessna 120
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20140527006879A
- Case key
- 89296
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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing which resulted in a runway excursion.
Findings · 3
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 instructor pilot reported the student had approximately 30 hours of prior flight time in the accident airplane. The instructor and student were practicing tail wheel landings. On the third landing, the student touched down normally. During rollout, the instructor advised the student to lower the tail to eliminate tail rudder effectiveness. At that time, the student applied brakes causing the airplane to skid off the right side of the runway. The airplane overturned and came to rest inverted approximately 4 feet of the runway edge. A post-accident examination revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and vertical stabilizer. In the instructor's written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board he noted that the accident might have been prevented if he taught breaking effectiveness to lift the tail during high speed taxiing instead of during landings.
Factual narrative
The instructor pilot reported the student had approximately 30 hours of prior flight time in the accident airplane. The instructor and student were practicing tail wheel landings. On the third landing, the student touched down normally. During rollout, the instructor advised the student to lower the tail to eliminate tail rudder effectiveness. At that time, the student applied brakes causing the airplane to skid off the right side of the runway. The airplane overturned and came to rest inverted approximately 4 feet of the runway edge. A post-accident examination revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall and vertical stabilizer. In the instructor's written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board he noted that the accident might have been prevented if he taught breaking effectiveness to lift the tail during high speed taxiing instead of during landings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2774N
- Reported as
- Cessna 120 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12020
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 3,911
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Skypark Inc
- Registered owner
- Skypark Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 2013
- Departed
- 15G · Wadsworth, OH
- Destination
- 15G · Wadsworth, OH
- Airport
- 15G · Weltzien Skypark, runway 03, 2,410 × 37 ft, asphalt
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 24, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 9,300 total · 600 in this make and model · 9,200 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 14, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 985 total · 35 in this make and model · 904 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- BJJ, 12 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 7, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB 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.