Cessna 195 N4344V

Summary

On 21 August 2002 at about 23:18 local time, a Cessna 195 registered N4344V was involved in an accident near Willows, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 August 2002 at 23:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Willows, California, United States

Nearest airport

Willows-Glenn Co (WLW)

Coordinates

39.5000, -122.2181

Aircraft

Cessna 195

Registration

N4344V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Willows → Willows

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX02LA260

Nobody was injured.

the pilot's inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions resulting in his failure to maintain runway alignment. Contributing factors to the accident were the pilot's lack of familiarity with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot failed to maintain runway alignment during the landing flare, which resulted in the airplane touching down off the runway in soft dirt and nosing over. The pilot had just purchased the tail wheel equipped airplane and was practicing touch-and-go takeoffs and landings to gain confidence in the airplane prior to flying it home. The pilot said that during the first landing, about 2 feet above the ground, the airplane was "blown" to the right of the runway where it touched down in the soft dirt. The main tires dug into the dirt, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported that having more flight time in the airplane may have helped prevent the accident. He had 5 hours in this make and model of airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.