# NTSB CEN19LA046: Cessna 120, N2496N, Beaumont, KS, December 15, 2018 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: December 15, 2018, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC) - Place: Beaumont, KS - Coordinates: 37.659168, -96.527778 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.6592&lon=-96.5278&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 13, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 98791 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA046 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/98791/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98791 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA046 ## Probable cause The right brake being locked during the landing roll on the turf runway for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examinations, which resulted in a noseover. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Landing gear system: brake](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023242): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 120, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023242/cases.md?model=2071402), [All aircraft, 297 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023242/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 120, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=2071402), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Cessna 120, 19 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2071402), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Attempted remediation/recovery](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060); cases with it: [Cessna 120, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md?model=2071402), [All aircraft, 1,422 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/060/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 120, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md?model=2071402), [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 120, 20 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2071402), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. He reported that, upon landing the airplane on a turf runway, the airplane began to pull right. He applied left rudder to try to keep the airplane going straight. As the airplane continued to pull right, the pilot applied full left rudder and full aft elevator and tried applying the left brake. The empennage rose up, so he stopped using the left brake and just used the left rudder. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. The pilot stated that the right brake was locked during the landing. The brake was subsequently unlocked to facilitate moving the airplane from the runway. An examination of the turf runway revealed surface witness marks consistent with a locked right brake. However, during examination of the airplane, no anomalies were found that would have caused the right brake to lock; therefore, the reason the right brake was locked upon landing could not be determined. Given the available evidence, the airplane likely nosed over during the landing roll as the pilot attempted to compensate for the locked right brake. ## Factual narrative On December 15, 2018, about 0830 central standard time, a Cessna 120 airplane, N2496N, nosed over during a landing at the Beaumont Hotel Airport (07S), near Beaumont, Kansas. The private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial wing and empennage damage. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The flight originated from a private airstrip near Emporia, Kansas, about 0800, and was destined for 07S.According to a statement from the pilot, the airplane began to pull right after touchdown on the dry turf runway. He applied a "lot" of left rudder to try and keep the airplane going straight. As the airplane continued to pull right, with full left rudder and full aft elevator, the pilot tried "tapping" the left brake. The empennage rose up, so he stopped using the left brake and just used the left rudder. The airplane nosed over as it approached the west edge of the runway markers. The pilot indicated that the right brake was locked during the landing. The brake was subsequently unlocked to facilitate moving the airplane from the runway. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the runway and reported that it exhibited surface witness marks consistent with a locked brake on turf. He also examined the airplane. However, the brakes were not locked when he conducted the examination and a reason for a locked brake could not be determined. The pilot, who is also an airplane mechanic, was asked if there were any anomalies found with the brake system after the accident. He indicated that he did not find anything definitive wrong with the brake system. He believed that something in the master cylinder caused the brake to lock. However, further inspection of the master cylinder did not reveal any anomalies. Additionally, the brake lines and wheel cylinder checked out "good" with no evidence of blockage, kinks, or bends. A review of FAA airworthiness documents showed that the brakes were modified from the original brakes to Cleveland Brakes on March 28, 1993 in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate SA13GL. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2496N](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2496N-2020-02-07), registration cancelled 2020-02-07, S/N 12749, built 1947 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 120 (No Series) - Registry model: [Cessna 120](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-120) (registry code 2071402) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental C90 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c90-series) (registry code 17009, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 12749 - Year built: 1947 - Airframe hours: 4277.9 - Engines: Teledyne Continental Motors C90-12F 90 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: November 23, 2018 - Departed: Emporia, KS - Destination: 07S, Beaumont, KS - Airport: 07S, Beaumont Hotel, runway 18, 2,400 × 80 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: Handheld GPS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: basicmed, without waivers/limitations; last flight review September 27, 2017; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,065 total, 480 in this make and model, 1,000 as pilot in command, 17.8 in the last 90 days, 6 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 30 °F, dew point 23 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: EQA, 15 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20181215022229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181215022229A), Dec 15, 2018: Cessna 120, Beaumont, KS, Substantial damage. [privacy data omitted] Informed that he was landing at the Beaumont hotel airport, Kansas, (07S) on the morning of December 15, 2018 when the accident… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=98791. 3.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 2.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470296&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Pilot's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 159 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470297&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%27s%20Statement-Master.PDF - FAA Inspector's Statement - Communication Summary - Inspector Bruce Thornton (item 3, .PDF, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470298&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement%20-%20Communication%20Summary%20-%20Inspector%20Bruce%20Thornton-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 4, .PDF, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40470299&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.