- Date
- October 21, 2017, 10:30 local (14:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Bern, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72552Cessna 120
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171021014909A
- Case key
- 96253
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 improper landing flare and subsequent failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Findings · 3
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, he believed he "just hit a little to[o] hard," and the airplane porpoised. He added that he attempted to recover but could not get control of the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway to the left and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and the left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, he believed he "just hit a little to[o] hard" and the airplane porpoised. He added that, he attempted to recover but could not get control of the airplane. Subsequently, the airplane exited the runway to the left and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and the left wing lift strut. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72552
- Reported as
- Cessna 120 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 9722
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 5,005.12
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 30, 2017
- Departed
- OCW · Washington, NC
- Destination
- EWN · New Bern, NC
- Airport
- EWN · Coastal Carolina Regional, runway 22, 6,453 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 10, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 446 total · 6 in this make and model · 307 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.35 inHg
- Observed at
- KEWN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 12, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 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.