LAX94LA328

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 180 · Sedona, AZ · August 19, 1994

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 19, 1994, 09:45 local (16:45 UTC)
Place
Sedona, AZ
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N9944NCessna 180
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 27, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19940819022519A
Case key
28833

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

the pilot's inadvertant application of wheel brakes during a critical phase of landing rollout.

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.

Nose overLanding - roll
Brakes(normal) - inadvertent usePilot in commandCause

Analysis

The pilot stated that he had completed a normal wheel-type landing on runway 03, and had slowed to a point where the tail wheel had contacted the runway. Because there was traffic behind the pilot, and he had not yet reached an exit taxiway, he applied power to accelerate the taxi. The airplane started to turn towards the right and he applied left rudder, inadvertently engaging the brake. At that point, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that the wind was calm and the airplane was operating normally. The airport manager reported that the wind was out of the south at 3 to 5 knots at the time of the accident.

Factual narrative

On August 19, 1994, about 0945 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 180, N9944N, was substantially damaged following a nose over during landing rollout at Sedona, Arizona. Neither the private pilot nor his passenger were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight which originated at Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the morning of the accident at 0720 hours. No flight plan was filed for the flight.

The pilot stated he had made a normal wheel-type landing on runway 03. He had slowed to a point where the tail wheel contacted the runway. He stated: "Because there was traffic behind me and I had not yet reached the exit ramp, I applied power to accelerate the taxi. At that point, the airplane began to turn to the right. I applied left rudder to compensate for the turn. Unfortunately, I engaged the brake, causing the airplane to tip up on it's nose and then on it's back."

The pilot reported that the winds were calm and the airplane was working normally. The airport manager stated that the winds were out of the south at 3 to 5 knots.

Aircraft

Registration
N9944N
Reported as
Cessna 180
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18052599
Airframe hours
654
Engine
Continental O-470-S, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Jerold L. Freeman
Registered owner
Jerold L. Freeman
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · April 4, 1994 · 20 hours before
Departed
AEG · Albuquerque, NM
Destination
SEZ · AZ
Airport
SEZ · Sedona, runway 3, 5,131 × 75 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
51
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Left
Flight hours
250 total · 91 in this make and model · 224 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
180° at 5 knots
Visibility
75 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
72 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.