Summary
On September 23, 2015, a Cessna 195 (N3484V) was involved in an accident near Merritt Island, FL. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's excessive braking during the landing roll, resulting in a nose over.
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he performed a wheel landing on the asphalt runway. The pilot stated that he landed at a speed of 70 miles per hour, and that he allowed the tailwheel to touch down on the runway at approximately 45 miles per hour. He stated that when the tailwheel touched down, the airplane rapidly veered to the left and he attempted to correct the left movement by applying right rudder as well as the brakes. Excessive braking resulted in a nose over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings and empennage.
Photographs provided by the FAA showed the airplane veering about 30 degrees toward the left edge of the runway.
This accident is documented in NTSB report GAA15CA289. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3484V.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's excessive braking during the landing roll, resulting in a nose over.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
According to the pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he performed a wheel landing on the asphalt runway. The pilot stated that he landed at a speed of 70 miles per hour, and that he allowed the tailwheel to touch down on the runway at approximately 45 miles per hour. He stated that when the tailwheel touched down, the airplane rapidly veered to the left and he attempted to correct the left movement by applying right rudder as well as the brakes. Excessive braking resulted in a nose over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings and empennage.
Photographs provided by the FAA showed the airplane veering about 30 degrees toward the left edge of the runway. The left tire mark showed in excess of 30 feet of full tread width, dark black, rubber skid, while the right tire mark showed continual skidding of the inside (right) edge and intermittent full tread width skids. About 30 feet from where the airplane came to rest inverted, the left skid mark lightened up showing continual tread edge skidding and intermittent full tread width skids, and the airplane had turned to the right paralleling to the runway edge. No tailwheel marks were visible in the photographs. The airplane came to rest inverted about 75 feet short of the B4 intersection.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# GAA15CA289