Cessna 195B N4420C

Summary

On 28 April 2013 at about 15:50 local time, a Cessna 195B registered N4420C, operated by Ronald S. Harmon, was involved in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

28 April 2013 at 15:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

Nearest airport

Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG)

Coordinates

35.1453, -106.7953

Aircraft

Cessna 195B

Registration

N4420C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Ronald S. Harmon

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Albuquerque → Albuquerque

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN13LA243

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the purpose of the accident flight, which consisted of several practice takeoffs and landings, was to become better acquainted with the flying characteristics of the tailwheel-equipped airplane that he had recently purchased. The accident occurred during a full-stop landing on the hard-surface runway. The pilot reported that he made an uneventful approach and a three-point touchdown on the runway centerline; however, during the landing roll, the airplane suddenly veered to the left. The pilot stated that he was unable to regain directional control and that the airplane departed the left side of the runway and nosed over. Postaccident examinations of the airplane, including a functional test of the tailwheel assembly, established that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. In the absence of a mechanical cause for the sudden veer experienced during landing roll, it is likely that the pilot failed to maintain directional control of the airplane after touchdown which resulted in the ground-loop and runway excursion.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.