- Date
- July 25, 2001, 14:47 local (21:47 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2903NCessna 140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 25, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flt Standards Dist Office
- FAA report
- 20010725018819A
- Case key
- 52828
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing that resulted in dragging the wing and nosing over.
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 made an uneventful three-point touchdown. Thereafter, the airplane veered left, and the pilot applied rudder pressure and engine power to correct for the yawing moment. The pilot reported that the swerve happened so fast he was unable to take effective corrective action. Airplane control was lost and it nosed over.
Factual narrative
On July 25, 2001, about 1447 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 140, N2903N, owned and operated by the pilot, ground looped and nosed over during landing rollout on runway 29 at McChesney Field, San Luis Obispo, California. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local area flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from the airport about 1400.
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he made an uneventful three-point touchdown. Thereafter, the airplane veered left, and he applied rudder pressure and engine power to correct for the yawing moment. The pilot reported "it happened so fast I was unable to make effective correction with rudder pedals." Thereafter, the right wing contacted the runway and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2903N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13164
- Airframe hours
- 2,401
- Engine
- Continental C-85-12, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles W. O'Donnell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 2001 · 18 hours before
- Departed
- SBP · San Luis Obispo, CA
- Destination
- SBP · San Luis Obispo, CA
- Airport
- SBP · McChesney Field, runway 29, 4,799 × 150 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
- 72
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 25, 1999
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 582 total · 398 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- SBP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.