- Date
- September 17, 1994, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mora, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8064BCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940917036259A
- Case key
- 9691
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
was an improper touchdown by the pilot-in-command. Factor's associated with this accident were the pilot's diverted attention due to his perception of a crosswind condition and the pilot not performing a recovery from a bounced 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.
Analysis
The airplane was observed to land on its nose wheel by a witness. It porpoised about five times before the nose wheel tire blew out. After the tire blowout the airplane lost directional control, exiting the runway edge, having its nose gear separate from the airframe and then nosing over in soft sod. The pilot gave a similar account of the events but said he landed nose wheel first, followed by nose wheel vibration and collapse. He also said he was so concerned about the crosswind that he was careless about the approach.
Factual narrative
On September 17, 1994, at 1000 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna 172, N8064B, registered to Charles B. Persons of Brainard, Minnesota, and piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during landing onto runway 35 (3,998' X 75' dry asphalt) at the Mora Municipal Airport, Mora, Minnesota. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported minor injuries. The flight departed Brainard, Minnesota, at 0900 cdt.
According to the pilot's written statement on NTSB Form 6120.1/2, he was "...so concerned about the cross wind I was careless about the approach and obviously landed nose wheel down... ." He said the airplane's nose wheel "... had a tendency to vibrate and make noises when I landed so always carefully kept weight off that wheel." He said that too much weight was placed on the nose wheel this time and it collapsed causing the airplane to go out of control and "...eventually [went] off the runway." After exiting the runway, the airplane encountered soft sod and nosed over.
A witness to the accident stated the airplane "...was too fast and when attempting to land struck the nose wheel first and then ... started to porpoise... ." He said the airplane's nose tire blew out after the fifth "...bounce...", losing directional control and drifted to the left side of the runway. The witness concluded his statement by saying the airplane's nose gear separated from the airframe as the airplane left the runway. When the bottom cowl touched the soft sod on the runway's edge, the airplane nosed over according to this witness.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8064B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 29864
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles B. Persons
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BRD · Brainard, MN
- Airport
- 19D · Mora Municipal Airport, runway 35, 3,998 × 75 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 85
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,352 total · 1,352 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 19D
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.