Cessna 140 N89617

Summary

On 31 July 2004 at about 17:35 local time, a Cessna 140 registered N89617, operated by Robert Mueller, was involved in an accident near Wimauma, Florida, 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

31 July 2004 at 17:35

Classification

Accident

Location

Wimauma, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Wimauma Air Park (FD77)

Coordinates

27.7119, -82.2828

Aircraft

Cessna 140

Registration

N89617

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert Mueller

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mulberry → Wimauma

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA04CA114

Nobody was injured.

The improper in-flight weather evaluation by the student pilot resulting in a downwind landing and subsequent nose over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that after departure he elected to divert to the Wimauma Air Park to visit with a mechanic about an annual inspection to his airplane. He circled over the center of the runway at the Wimauma Air Park, and entered the traffic pattern for runway 09; the windsock indicated the wind was calm. He turned base then final and touched down in a three-point attitude with full flaps extended, then bounced approximately 1 foot. He eased forward on the control yoke and the main landing gears contacted the runway, while he held the control yoke neutral. The airplane then "nosed over" suddenly coming to rest inverted. He exited the airplane and noted every couple of minutes a gust of wind from the west at 25-30 miles-per-hour. He further reported there was no discrepancy with the flight controls or brakes, and there was, "no problem with the aircraft." A witness on the field reported that at the time of the accident, the wind was from the west at 5-7 knots; there were no gusts at the time of the accident. During the day, the wind had been from either the southwest or west; the wind direction was changing due to a thunderstorm that was located south of the field. The witness also reported there are 2 fully operational windsocks located on the airport; both are located south of the south edge of runway 09/27, and near the approach end of runway 09.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.