- Date
- June 2, 1996, 08:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- Potter, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3609VCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960602015089A
- Case key
- 10274
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
a fatigue fracture of the landing gear axle.
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 on takeoff run when the right landing gear axle broke. It was not possible to maintain directional control and the gear leg dug into the terrain. The airplane ground looped and the tail impacted the terrain. Subsequent examination of the axle revealed that the failure was due to fatigue cracking, but the source of the fatigue was not determined.
Factual narrative
On June 2, 1996, at 0830 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 140, N3609V, sustained substantial damage on takeoff from runway 31 (dry turf private strip), near Potter, Nebraska. The right axle broke an the airplane ground looped. The commercial pilot and one passenger reported no injuries. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight was originating at the time of the accident with the intended destination of Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
The pilot stated that the airplane was just about to liftoff when the right axle broke and the landing gear leg dug into the terrain. The airplane ground looped and the tail wheel impacted the terrain.
The axle was removed and sent to the NTSB Office of Research and Engineering for examination. The fracture of the axle was found to be indicative of fatigue cracking. No specific determination of the source of the fatigue was determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3609V
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 14877
- Airframe hours
- 3,436
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leonard E. Nelson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 7, 1996 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- NONE
- Destination
- BFF · Scottsbluff, NE
- Airport
- NONE · Bar J Lazy V, runway 31, 2,700 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 79
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 8,150 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.