- Date
- January 7, 2010, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2171CCessna 195B
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100107025919A
- Case key
- 75245
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 improper use of brakes during landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The commercial pilot reported that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard-surfaced runway. He stated that during the landing rollout, as he was transitioning his feet from the bottom of the rudder pedals to the top, he applied too much brake pressure and the airplane nosed over. He further stated that he suffers from diabetic neuropathy and did not initially realize how much brake pressure he applied. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the tail assembly. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The pilot does not possess a current Federal Aviation Administration medical certificate.
Factual narrative
The commercial pilot reported he was landing the tail wheel-equipped airplane on a dry, hard-surfaced runway. He stated that during the landing roll out, as he was transitioning his feet from the bottom of the rudder pedals to the top, he applied too much brake pressure and the airplane nosed over. He further stated that he suffers from diabetic neuropathy and did not initially realize how much brake pressure he applied. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail assembly. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane. The pilot does not possess a current FAA medical certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2171C
- Reported as
- Cessna 195B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 16156
- Engine
- Jacobs R755B SERIES, 275 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Danny R. Brignac
- Registered owner
- Danny R. Brignac
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 2009
- Departed
- KPVF · Placerville, CA
- Destination
- KTRM · Palm Springs, CA
- Airport
- KTRM · Jacqueline Cochran Regional, runway 17, 8,500 × 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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,600 total · 5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 804 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2171C · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.