- Date
- October 22, 2002, 12:52 local (16:52 UTC)
- Place
- Waterville, ME
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7321HCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20021022028339A
- Case key
- 55978
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 excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over. A factor was the quartering 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 reported that after landing, a gust of wind caught the tail of the airplane from the left. The pilot applied the brakes, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot also reported that he was operating in the traffic pattern with other airplanes, based on ASOS information of winds about 70 degrees from the left, at 7 to 10 miles per hour. Winds recorded 3 minutes after the accident were 130 degrees from the left, at 6, gusting to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On October 22, 2002, at 1252 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 185, N7321H, was substantially damaged during a landing at Waterville-Robert LaFleur Airport (WVL), Waterville, Maine. The certificated commercial pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to check out a newly-installed Global Positioning Receiver (GPS) in his airplane. He remained within 5 miles of the airport, then returned to fly the GPS RWY 5 approach at Waterville. Other airplanes were using runway 05 during his approach, and the Automated Weather Observation Service (AWOS) reported winds from about 340 degrees, at 7 to 10 miles per hour.
After landing, a gust of wind caught the tail of the airplane from the left. The pilot attempted to regain directional control but was unable, which resulted in wing/ground contact and a nose over.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot reported that he may have applied too much brake and lost directional control during the landing.
The airplane was a 1977 Cessna 185, with 2,078 airframe hours. According to the FAA inspector, there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane. When asked about the performance of the airplane, the pilot said that it appeared to be performing normally.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single engine land, single engine sea, and instrument airplane. He also held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane multi-engine land. The pilot's most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on May 15, 2002. He reported 1,600 hours of flight experience, 50 hours of which were in make and model.
The pilot previously owned a tail-wheeled Cessna 180, and had about 800 hours of flight experience in that airplane. He felt that the Cessna 185 had more engine power and torque, and was heavier than the Cessna 180. It was also heavier and less responsive to full control deflection.
At 1255, the weather reported at Waterville Airport included winds from 280 degrees at 6, gusting to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7321H
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503361
- Airframe hours
- 2,078
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D-24, 300 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fletcher Lavergne
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 2002 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- WVL · Waterville, ME
- Destination
- WVL · Waterville, ME
- Airport
- WVL · Waterville Lafleur Airport, runway 05, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,625 total · 50 in this make and model · 1,365 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- WVL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.