- Date
- April 10, 2014, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Colebrook, NH
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N2143NCessna 140
- Defining event
- Taxi-from runway: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140410003529A
- Case key
- 89053
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 power out of soft snow with a gusty quartering tailwind which resulted in the tail of the airplane rising and the airplane nosing over.
Findings · 6
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
According to the private pilot, after landing, a 180 degree turn was required to back taxi on the runway. During the turn, the main landing gear encountered soft snow at the edge of the runway, and began to sink further into the snow. The pilot increased engine power to return the airplane to the center of the runway; however, the tail of the airplane began to rise and the strong quartering tailwind continued to nose the airplane over which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing strut and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported the wind, at the time of the accident, was approximately 220 degrees at 15 knots with gusts up to 20 knots. He further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the private pilot, after landing, a 180 degree turn was required to back taxi on the runway. During the turn, the main landing gear encountered soft snow at the edge of the runway, and began to sink further into the snow. The pilot increased engine power to return the airplane to the center of the runway; however, the tail of the airplane began to rise and the strong quartering tailwind continued to nose the airplane over which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing strut and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported the wind, at the time of the accident, was approximately 220 degrees at 15 knots with gusts up to 20 knots. He further reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2143N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12379
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 3,681
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235 SERIES, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 13, 2013 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- 4C4 · Colebrook, NH
- Destination
- 4C4 · Colebrook, NH
- Airport
- 4C4 · Gifford Field, runway 04, 2,466 × 75 ft, snow
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 30, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 252 total · 157 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KBML, 23 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 1, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.