# NTSB CHI95LA059: American Champion Citabria 7-GCBC, N31271, Ulysses, KS, December 16, 1994

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: December 16, 1994, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place: Ulysses, KS
- Coordinates: 37.570896, -101.3497 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.5709&lon=-101.3497&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report May 16, 1995
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 9814
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI95LA059
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/9814/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI95LA059

## Probable cause

the pilots improper use of brakes during practice landings, and his lack of total experience in tail wheel equipped airplanes.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Nose over, landing - roll
  - brakes(normal) - improper, pilot in command(cfi) (cause)
  - lack of total experience in type of aircraft, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor)

## Analysis

THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE CONDUCTING PRACTICE FULL STOP, THREE POINT, WHEEL LANDINGS ON A PRIVATE DIRT STRIP.  THE INSTRUCTOR, WHO WAS IN THE AFT SEAT, REPORTED APPLYING BRAKES TOO HEAVILY, RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE NOSING OVER ONTO ITS BACK.

## Factual narrative

On December 16, 1994 about 1030 hours mountain standard time (MST), N31271, an American-Champion Citabria 7-GCBC, owned and operated by Broaddus Aviation, Incorporated of Ulysses, Kansas, flipped onto its back during a practice landing and sustained substantial damage.  No fire occurred, and neither the flight instructor nor the student pilot was injured.

Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed.  The flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and had originated from the Ulysses, Kansas Airport at 0945 MST.  The pilot and student were performing practice landings at a private dirt strip 15 miles northeast of ULS.  The flight instructor, who only had 15 hours total time in tail wheel equipped airplanes, reported that he applied brakes during a full flap, short field, 3 point landing, and the airplane nosed over onto its back.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N31271 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: American Champion (ACAC) CITABRIA 7-GCBC (CITABRIA 7)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 405-72
- Airframe hours: 365
- Engines: LYCOMING O-320-A2B 150 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Registered owner: Broaddus Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Aerobatic; Standard, Normal; Special, Provisional (Special)
- Last inspection: Annual, October 17, 1994, 10 hours before
- Airport: Private, runway 36, 4,500 × 20 ft, dirt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 24; flight instructor, commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: rear; flight hours: 360 total, 22 in this make and model, 320 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 39 °F

## 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 19941216041739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941216041739A), Dec 16, 1994: Bbavia 7GCBC, Ulysses, KS, Substantial damage. Practice landing on dirt strip. CFI applied too much braking. Aircraft nosed over. CFI low time in tailwheel type.

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.

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