- Date
- June 1, 1995, 13:55 local (18:55 UTC)
- Place
- College Station, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N76856Cessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950601014319A
- Case key
- 19439
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 inability to maintain directional control after encountering wake turbulence from a landing airplane. A factor was the tailwind.
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 pilot was unable to maintain directional control of the airplane after encountering wake turbulence from a landing saab 340. The pilot stated that a two mile separation was maintained when he was cleared to land behind the commuter airplane. Wind was from 200 degrees at 4 knots.
Factual narrative
On June 1, 1995, at 1355 central daylight time, a Cessna 120, N76856, sustained substantial damage during landing near College Station, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight.
According to witnesses at the airport, the airplane was executing a touch and go landing on Runway 10 at the Easterwood Airport (CLL). The pilot made a wheel landing and was rolling on the main tires when control was lost and the airplane departed the runway to the left. The main gear tires stuck in the soft mud at the edge of the runway and the airplane nosed over coming to rest in the inverted position, resulting in damage to the wings and fuselage.
The pilot stated that he was cleared to follow a Saab 340 airplane to land on runway 10. The pilot estimated that he had a two mile separation behind the landing regional airliner. The pilot stated that directional control could not be maintained after encountering the wing vortex wake turbulence from the landing aircraft. He further stated that the light quartering tailwind prevailing at the time of the accident contributed to the accident. Wind was from 200 degrees at 4 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76856
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11290
- Airframe hours
- 4,050
- Engine
- Continental C85-12F, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Moorad, Bruce M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 1995 · 106 hours before
- Departed
- EYQ · Houston, TX
- Destination
- CLL
- Airport
- CLL · Easterwood, runway 10, 5,160 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 49
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,094 total · 55 in this make and model · 4,040 as pilot in command · 107 in the last 90 days · 39 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLL, 1 nm away
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 N76856 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.