- Date
- March 8, 2001, 09:33 local (17:33 UTC)
- Place
- San Jose, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N77JCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 28, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FLT STNDS DIST OFFICE
- FAA report
- 20010308002969A
- Case key
- 51894
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 failure of the pilot to maintain directional control during landing.
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, following a normal approach, the airplane bounced slightly on touchdown. As it touched down a second time, the aircraft started to veer to the right and, although he applied left rudder, the plane continued to veer more sharply to the right and a groundloop ensued. The left main landing gear strut collapsed and the aircraft came to rest on the right-hand edge of the runway about 800 feet from the threashold. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions and that weather was not a factor. The wind was calm.
Factual narrative
On March 8, 2001, at 0933 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 140, N77J, was substantially damaged during a landing ground loop at San Jose International Airport, San Jose, California. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The local area instructional flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 91 by Ames Flying Club. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed San Jose about 0900.
The pilot reported that, on his sixth landing on runway 29 (4,599 feet long by 100 feet wide), following a normal approach, the airplane bounced slightly on touchdown. As it touched down a second time, the aircraft started to veer to the right and, although he applied left rudder, the plane continued to veer more sharply to the right and a groundloop to the right ensued. The left main landing gear strut collapsed and the aircraft came to rest on the right-hand edge of the runway about 800 feet from the threashold. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions and that weather was not a factor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77J
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11489
- Airframe hours
- 4,719
- Engine
- Continental C-90, 90 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ames Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 27, 2001 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- SJC · San Jose, CA
- Airport
- SJC · San Jose International, runway 29, 4,599 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 26, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 55 total · 44 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- SJC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N77J · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.