- Date
- December 16, 2019, 14:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4098NCessna 140
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- FAA report
- 20191216021579A
- Case key
- 100697
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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his use of excessive braking while taxiing.
Findings · 5
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 flight instructor and the student pilot, who was on the controls, were taxiing for departure when the airplane started to veer right of the taxiway centerline. To correct the veer, the student quickly applied the brakes. The instructor reported that he could not intervene quickly enough before the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted on the taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor and the student pilot who was on the controls, were taxiing for departure when the airplane started to veer to the right of the taxiway centerline. In an attempt to correct the directional movement, the student pilot applied the brakes quickly. The flight instructor reported that he could not intervene quick enough before the airplane nosed-over and came to rest inverted on the taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage the right wing and vertical stabilizer. The flight instructor reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the accident that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4098N
- Reported as
- Cessna 140 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 13556
- Built
- 1947
- Airframe hours
- 5,197.3
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 19, 2019
- Departed
- WJF · Lancaster, CA
- Destination
- WJF · Lancaster, CA
- Airport
- WJF · General Wm J Fox Airfield, runway 06, 7,201 × 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 5 total · 2 in this make and model
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 27, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 9,840 total · 11 in this make and model · 8,962 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- WJF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 24, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 MB 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.