- Date
- October 15, 2018, 13:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- Denver, CO
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N76154Cessna 140
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181015024709A
- Case key
- 98498
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 inadvertent brake application, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a subsequent nose-over.
Findings · 4
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 the preflight for a demonstration flight with another pilot, they discussed the nose-over tendencies of the airplane and the need to "stay off the brakes." He added that, during the fourth touch-and-go landing, the second pilot was flying and performed a wheel landing. During the landing roll, the airplane drifted right, and the pilot "came on the rudders to help." Suddenly, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that he believed he was responsible for the accident and that either he or the other pilot must have inadvertently applied the brakes. He also believed that he misjudged the second pilot's tailwheel experience. The second pilot reported that, at the time of the accident, he had a tailwheel endorsement and met the recency of experience requirements. He added that, during the landing roll, the airplane was tracking the centerline when "suddenly and unexpectedly" it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and empennage. 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 the preflight for a demonstration flight with a second pilot, they discussed the nose-over tendencies of the airplane and the necessity to "stay off the brakes." He added that, during the fourth touch and go landing, the second pilot was flying and performed a wheel landing. During the landing roll, the airplane drifted to the right and the pilot "came on the rudders to help." Suddenly, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that he believed he was responsible for the accident and that one of them must have inadvertently applied the brakes. He also believed he misjudged the second pilot's tailwheel experience. The second pilot reported that, at the time of the accident, he had a tailwheel endorsement and met the recency of experience requirements. He added that, during the landing roll, the airplane was tracking the centerline when "suddenly and unexpectedly", it nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76154
- Reported as
- Cessna 140 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 10551
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 1,645.1
- Engine
- Continental O-220-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2017
- Departed
- FTG · Denver, CO
- Destination
- FTG · Denver, CO
- Airport
- FTG · Front Range, runway 26, 8,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Waiver time limited special
- Last flight review
- January 4, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 20,087 total · 300 in this make and model · 11,682 as pilot in command · 178 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight engineer, Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 17,815 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- KFTG, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 7, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 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.