- Date
- October 31, 2024, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, PA · On Airport
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3083BCessna 195A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20241031018699A
- Case key
- 195422
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Findings · 2
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 had just completed tailwheel/high performance training and had been signed off by the flight instructor. The pilot stated he wanted to go for another flight to fine-tune his flying skills, and the flight instructor went along with him. The pilot, who was acting as the pilot-in-command, said he made a successful tail wheel-landing, followed by a three-point landing. During the three-point landing, the airplane bounced and veered to the left. The pilot said he tried to correct to the right, but the airplane subsequently ground looped. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3083B
- Reported as
- Cessna 195A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7968
- Built
- 1952
- Airframe hours
- 3,616
- Engine
- Jacobs R755 B2, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 2024
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 8N1 · Grimes, runway 11/29, 2,720 × 100 ft, grass/turf
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 31, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 401 total · 24 in this make and model · 339 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 19, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 38,680 total · 990 in this make and model · 36,227 as pilot in command · 266 in the last 90 days · 87 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KZER, 14 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KZER 311355Z AUTO 25009KT 10SM CLR 20/09 A3020
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 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.
Other investigations on N3083B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.