# NTSB NYC99LA166: Cessna 140, N72992, Beckley, WV, July 5, 1999

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: July 5, 1999, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place: Beckley, WV
- Coordinates: 37.779052, -81.179954 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.7791&lon=-81.1800&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report August 3, 2000
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 46710
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC99LA166
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/46710/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA166

## Probable cause

The pilot's loss of aircraft control during the landing roll, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll
  - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
  - ground loop/swerve - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

During the landing roll, the airplane ground-looped and veered off the runway.  Winds were variable, at 5 knots, and there was no evidence of brake malfunction.

## Factual narrative

On July 5, 1999, about 1230 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 140, N72992, was substantially damaged during a landing at Raleigh County Memorial Airport (BKW), Beckley, West Virginia.  The certificated private pilot and the passenger were uninjured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.  No flight plan was filed for the flight between Person County Airport (TDF), Roxboro, North Carolina, and Beckley.  The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The pilot stated that as he was landing on Runway 28, everything seemed to be normal.  However, the "wind must have been a little stronger than I thought.  Started into a ground loop."  The airplane veered to the right, and went off the runway.  The left main landing gear broke off, and the airplane's left wing impacted the ground.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, there was no evidence that the right brake had locked up, and upon inspection, the right wheel turned freely.

Winds, recorded about 20 minutes after the accident, were variable, at 5 knots.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N72992](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N72992), registered now, S/N 10197 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 140
- Registry model: [Cessna 140](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-140) (registry code 2071602) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental C85 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-c85-series) (registry code 17008, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 10197
- Airframe hours: 3020
- Engines: Continental O-200-A 100 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Carlton D. Bailey, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 1998, 11 hours before
- Departed: TDF, ROXBORO, NC
- Destination: BKW
- Airport: BKW, Raleigh County Memorial, runway 28, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 37; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 356 total, 60 in this make and model, 356 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: variable at 5 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: BKW

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19990705008229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990705008229A), Jul 5, 1999: Cessna STC140, Beckley, WV, Substantial damage. Acft landed, right brakes grabbed sending acft off edge of rwy into grass, local authorities responded and reported no injuries to two occupants. (-23) the…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.