- Date
- March 28, 2017, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- St. Petersburg, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7838BCessna 140
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170328002239A
- Case key
- 94930
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 receiving instruction’s overcorrection with rudder during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 5
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 was receiving instruction in the tailwheel-equipped airplane. He reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane turned left and that he "over corrected with too much right rudder." He added that the airplane ground looped, exited the runway to the right, and came to rest in a nose-down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot receiving instruction in a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll the airplane turned left and he "over corrected with too much right rudder". He added that the airplane ground looped, exited the runway to the right, and came to rest in a nose down attitude. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7838B
- Reported as
- Cessna 140 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15694
- Built
- 1949
- Airframe hours
- 4,406.5
- Engine
- Cont Motor C90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- St. Pete Aviation Services, LLC, doing business as St. Pete Air
- Registered owner
- N7838bravo LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 9, 2017
- Departed
- SPG · St. Petersburg, FL
- Destination
- SPG · St. Petersburg, FL
- Airport
- SPG · Albert Whitted, runway 07, 3,677 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 16, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 8,210 total · 32 in this make and model · 8,043 as pilot in command · 74 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 22, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 281 total · 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KSPG
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 937 KB 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.