- Date
- May 15, 2013, 17:45 local (May 16, 2013, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- San Carlos, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4026ACessna 195A
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130515024829A
- Case key
- 86911
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 during the landing roll.
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 pilot reported that during the landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he executed a wheel landing, and continued to maintain directional control with the runway centerline. With the power at idle, the tail began losing lift and upon lowering the tail, the airplane began turning to the right. He applied left rudder, but found it ineffective so he also applied left brake to correct for the right turn. He was unable to bring the airplane back to the runway centerline, and felt that an aborted landing was no longer an option due to the direction the airplane was heading and the remaining runway length. He continued to apply left brake to the point where the tail began to lift, and tried to keep the airplane lined up to exit the runway at taxiway D. As the airplane entered the taxiway, the left main landing gear leg failed under side load. This resulted in the airplane’s left wing and fuselage contacting the runway surface as it came to rest with the airplane pointing about 45 degrees to the runway heading. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left side of the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during the landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he executed a wheel landing, and continued to maintain directional control with the runway centerline. With the power at idle, the tail began losing lift and upon lowering the tail, the airplane began turning to the right. He applied left rudder, but found it ineffective so he also applied left brake to correct for the right turn. He was unable to bring the airplane back to the runway centerline, and felt that an aborted landing was no longer an option due to the direction the airplane was heading and the remaining runway length. He continued to apply left brake to the point where the tail began to lift, and tried to keep the airplane lined up to exit the runway at taxiway Delta. As the airplane entered the taxiway, the left main landing gear leg failed under side load. This resulted in the airplane’s left wing and fuselage contacting the runway surface as it came to rest with the airplane pointing about 45 degrees to the runway heading. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left side of the fuselage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4026A
- Reported as
- Cessna 195A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7830
- Airframe hours
- 4,150
- Engine
- Jacobs R755-A2, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Grass
- Registered owner
- Janis Johnson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 28, 2012
- Departed
- RHV · San Jose, CA
- Destination
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Airport
- SQL · San Carlos, runway 30, 2,600 × 75 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 3, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 550 total · 130 in this make and model · 394 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- KSJC
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 12, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 616 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 N4026A · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.