Cessna 120 N77467

Summary

On 12 March 1995 at about 19:15 local time, a Cessna 120 registered N77467 was involved in an accident near Skaneateles, New York, United States. One person was 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

12 March 1995 at 19:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Skaneateles, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Aero Drome (6B9)

Coordinates

42.8904, -76.3707

Aircraft

Cessna 120

Registration

N77467

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jamestown → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC95LA072

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his improper use of the brakes.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

This was the student's final cross-country flight needed to qualify for his private pilot license. He reported about 140 solo takeoffs in the aircraft. According to the pilot, 'I executed a sharp 180 degree turn and lined up with the centerline. Since I stopped at this point and did not pull ahead, the tailwheel was unlocked and at approximately 90 degrees to the runway axis. Upon applying power, the tailwheel carried the rear of the plane slightly to the right (and the nose to the left) as it straightened out to trail behind. My reaction to the leftward movement of the nose was to apply right rudder... As the craft rolled off the pavement on its straight, misguided course, the left wheel approached a snow pile at the intersection of a taxiway with the runway.' The pilot reduced power to abort the takeoff. Upon the application of brakes, the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted. The piloted stated the accident could have been prevented by a better understanding of the tailwheel mechanism, and a better familiarity with the braking characteristics of the aircraft

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.