Cessna 305A N54550

Summary

On 2 March 2005 at about 17:25 local time, a Cessna 305A registered N54550 was involved in an accident near Bartow, Florida, 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

2 March 2005 at 17:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Bartow, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW)

Coordinates

27.9433, -81.7833

Aircraft

Cessna 305A

Registration

N54550

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bartow → Bartow

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA05CA068

Nobody was injured.

The pilots failure to maintain directional control resulting in the airplane ground-looping. A factor in the accident was the pilots lack of total experience in the airplane make and model.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated this was his first flight in this specific airplane and after a orientation flight, they returned to the Bartow Municipal Airport to land. Upon making a three point landing, the airplane seemed normal, but it then began to swerve to the left. The pilot corrected with rudder, but passed through the center line of the runway. The airplane then began to bounce traveling perpendicular to the centerline. The right main wheel separated from the spring shank and at this point it dug into the runway spinning aircraft to the right. The plane settled down on its belly, right wing low. The pilot-rated passenger stated that the preflight, takeoff, taxi, flight, and landing approach were all normal, until touchdown, when the airplane ground-looped. During the landing roll an uncontrolled turn to the left commenced, then it tightened up, damaging the landing gear and causing the wing tip to drag, followed by the propeller striking the runway. The aircraft came to rest after spinning 270-degrees, and stopped at the edge of the runway. The pilots stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.