- Date
- October 23, 2019, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Marion, AL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N77200Cessna 120
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191023021669A
- Case key
- 100632
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 student pilot's overapplication of the brakes during landing to avoid a deer on the runway, which resulted in a nose-over.
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 student pilot reported that, during the landing roll, a deer entered the runway in front of the airplane's path. He firmly applied the brakes, and the airplane subsequently nosed over and then came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut and rudder. The student reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that during the landing roll a deer entered the runway in front of the airplane's path. He firmly applied the brakes and the airplane subsequently nosed over coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing lift strut and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77200
- Reported as
- Cessna 120 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11662
- Built
- 1946
- Engine
- Continental C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 7A0 · Greensboro, AL
- Destination
- 7A0 · Greensboro, AL
- Airport
- A08 · Vaiden Field, runway 16, 6,400 × 80 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 60 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KDYA, 29 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 6, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 377 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.