- Date
- October 27, 1999, 16:42 local (20:42 UTC)
- Place
- Somerville, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N195ELCessna 190
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19991027030909A
- Case key
- 47691
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 inadequate compensation for wind.
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 airplane bounced as it touched down on the runway. During the bounce, a gust of wind appeared and 'drifted the airplane to the left.' The airplane began to 'groundloop to the right,' and as the pilot applied the brakes 'to straighten it,' the airplane flipped onto its back. Examination of the runway revealed marks about 300 feet long consistent with those of airplane tire skid marks. The winds reported at SMQ at 1653 were from 010 degrees at 7 knots.
Factual narrative
On October 27, 1999, about 1642 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 190, N195EL, was substantially damaged during landing at the Somerset Airport (SMQ), Somerville, New Jersey. The certificated private pilot/owner and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot stated that he prepared for a landing on Runway 30, and reported the wind from a heading of 020, at 8 knots. According to the pilot, the airplane bounced as it touched down, approximately 3/4 down the length of the 2,733 foot long runway. During the bounce, a gust of wind "drifted the airplane to the left side of the runway." As the pilot "overcorrected to the right," a crosswind blew the tail further to the left, resulting in a "groundloop to the right." The pilot applied the brakes "to straighten it," and the airplane flipped over, coming to rest inverted.
A witness at the airport observed the airplane on final approach and reported that it "seemed to be somewhat fast." She stated that the airplane landed straight, and after a few moments, the back end started to "pivot wildly from side to side." She further stated that the back end of the airplane lifted off the ground, hovered vertically in the air for a moment, then "crashed down on the runway in the opposite direction, leaving the airplane upside down."
According to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, examination of the runway revealed marks about 300 feet long consistent with those of airplane tire skid marks.
The winds reported at SMQ, at 1653, were from 010 degrees at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N195EL
- Reported as
- Cessna 190
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7794
- Airframe hours
- 4,400
- Engine
- Jacobs R755S, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Edward H. Lohmeyer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 6W6 · Hanover, PA
- Destination
- SMQ · Somerville, NJ
- Airport
- SMQ · Somerset Airport, runway 30, 2,733 × 65 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,388 total · 938 in this make and model · 1,388 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMQ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.