- Date
- July 19, 2011, 07:15 local (14:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pendleton, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1705NCessna 120
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Portland FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110719019829A
- Case key
- 81771
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 excessive brake application while landing on rough terrain.
Findings · 3
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 pilot, who was on a local personal flight, decided to make an off-airport landing in an open field. Although the touchdown in the tailwheel-equipped airplane was uneventful, the pilot applied hard braking in order to minimize the landing roll on the rough terrain. As the airplane began to slow it nosed over onto its back. Both the wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane's systems.
Factual narrative
The pilot, who was on a local area personal flight, decided to make an off-airport landing in an open field. Although the touchdown in the tailwheel-equipped airplane was uneventful, the pilot applied hard braking in order to minimize the landing roll on the rough terrain. As the airplane began to slow, it nosed over onto its back. Both the wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane's systems. In the recommendations section of the NTSB Form 6120.1, he stated that landings requiring higher demands than the pilot's current skill level should not be attempted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1705N
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 11949
- Airframe hours
- 2,600
- Engine
- Cont Motor C85 SERIES, 85 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mayfield Bruce J
- Registered owner
- Mayfield Bruce J
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 28, 2011
- Departed
- KPDT · Pendleton, OR
- Destination
- KPDT · Pendleton, OR
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 23, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 25 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 953 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 N1705N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.