N2396V

On January 31, 1994, at 1256 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 140, N2396V, nosed over while landing on runway 12 at Palo Alto Airport, Palo Alto, California. The pilots were conducting a local visual flight rules instructional flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the flight instructor, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated commercial pilot/flight instructor (CFI) nor the certificated commercial pilot/dual student was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Palo Alto Airport at 1200 hours.

The CFI reported in a telephone interview conducted on February 1, 1994, that the dual student was "being checked out in conventional gear airplanes." The dual student was receiving wheel landing instruction and had made four or five takeoffs and landings before the accident. On the accident landing, the airplane bounced several times. When the airplane stopped bouncing and was rolling on the main wheels, the dual student applied heavy braking at his instruction. The airplane nosed down and flipped over onto its back.

In a telephone interview conducted on February 1, 1994, the dual student said the airplane bounced several times and nosed over when he applied the brakes. He said that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.

The CFI submitted the required Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, to the National Transportation Safety Board, Southwest Regional Office. In the report, the CFI said the accident occurred on the fifth landing. The airplane ". . . bounced lightly a few times, then bounced, pitched down & [and] over . . .." He said there was no time to react to arrest the nose over.

The dual student submitted a partial Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He confirmed the CFI's written statement in the Aircraft Accident Report.

Neither the CFI nor the dual student said anything about applying the brakes in their respective written statements.