- Date
- February 27, 2022, 19:00 local (Feb 28, 2022, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kokomo, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N72831Cessna 140
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20220227002969A
- Case key
- 104771
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 decision to perform the takeoff on the soft, wet, turf runway, with the tailwheel equipped airplane, which resulted in a nose-over.
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 pilot reported that after landing the tailwheel equipped airplane on the turf airstrip, local residents advised him of soft spots in the runway surface due to recently melted snow. The pilot said that he walked the areas and taxied on the taxiway and turf runway without any issues. He taxied to the end of the runway and prepared for takeoff, which included choosing a takeoff path that appeared dryer. About 450 ft into the takeoff roll, the airplane encountered a soft spot on the runway which slowed the airplane, raised the tail, and the airplane “jerked” to one side. The left wing struck the ground and the airplane then nosed over. When asked if any mechanical problems with the airplane existed prior to the accident the pilot replied that there were none and that the airplane just sunk into the soft turf during the takeoff. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the engine mount, right wing, and right wing strut.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72831
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10017
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 5,147
- Engine
- Continental C85, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 9, 2021
- Destination
- GUS · Peru, IN
- Airport
- 8I3 · Glenndale, runway 36, 2,048 × 110 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 11, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,840 total · 1,353 in this make and model · 1,745 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.22 inHg
- Observed at
- KOKK, 9 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KOKK 272356Z AUTO 28007KT 10SM CLR 02/M02 A3022 RMK AO2 SLP243 6//// T00171017 10044 20017 53008 FZRANO PNO $=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 22, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.