On August 18, 1992, a Cessna 140 (registration N72379) operated by Joesph Painter was involved in an aviation accident near Chillicothe, MO. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate elevator back pressure while tapping the brakes during the landing roll on a sod runway, which resulted in the aircraft nosing over and inverting. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An airplane nosed over and inverted near the end of its landing roll on a sod runway. The pilot later recalled possibly tapping the brakes without applying back pressure on the elevator.
What happened
The aircraft was nearing the conclusion of its landing roll on a sod runway when it suddenly nosed over, resulting in an inverted position. During the initial phase of the interview with the pilot, he was unable to recall specific actions that might have caused the nose-over event.
Later in the interview, the pilot provided a potential explanation for the incident. He stated that he may have tapped the brakes during the landing roll. Additionally, he noted that he did not have any elevator back pressure applied at the time, though he expressed uncertainty regarding these details.
The investigation
The investigation relied heavily on the pilot's recollection and statements. No mechanical failure or external factor was identified in the provided source text. The focus remained on the pilot's actions during the landing roll.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate elevator back pressure while tapping the brakes during the landing roll on a sod runway, which resulted in the aircraft nosing over and inverting.