N9786B

On March 28, 1994, about 1130 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172RG, N9786B, registered to ATE of Texas, Inc., operated by American Flyers, nosed over after landing at a private grass airstrip near Parkland, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot-rated student, certified flight instructor (CFI) and passenger were not injured. The flight originated from the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, about 10 minutes earlier.

The Director of Operations of the flight school stated that another school airplane had performed a precautionary landing at the airstrip the night before. The accident flight was a previously scheduled dual training flight and before the flight, the Director of Operations asked the CFI and student to fly a passenger (school mechanic) to the airstrip. The student was flying the airplane and after touchdown on the main landing gears, the airplane rapidly experienced a deceleration. The CFI asked the student if he had applied the brakes and the student applied negative. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. Examination of the runway by FAA inspectors revealed ruts made by the main landing gears.