- Date
- August 19, 1996, 11:38 local (18:38 UTC)
- Place
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4478CCessna 195A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960819029799A
- Case key
- 29538
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, which resulted in a ground loop/swerve.
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 stated that during the landing roll, the aircraft began to swerve to the right. When he applied corrective action, the airplane ground looped, and the left wing contacted the ground. The pilot, a certificated aircraft mechanic, said that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunction or failure.
Factual narrative
On August 19, 1996, at 1138 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 195A, N4478C, dragged its wing while landing on runway 29 at San Luis Obispo Airport, San Luis Obispo, California. The pilot was completing a local visual flight rules personal flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by a private individual, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at San Luis Obispo Airport at 1100.
The pilot reported in a telephone interview conducted on August 19, 1996, that during the landing roll the airplane began to swerve to the right. When he applied the corrective action, the airplane ground looped and dragged the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4478C
- Reported as
- Cessna 195A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16062
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Jacobs L4/R755-7, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Marjorie S. Young
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 1995 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- SBP
- Airport
- SBP · San Luis Obispo, runway 29, 4,799 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,900 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.