On June 11, 1994, a Cessna 140 (registration N2927N) operated by David Novick was involved in an aviation accident near Ramona, CA. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in the separation of the right main landing gear. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A tailwheel aircraft suffered a landing gear failure during the rollout after a familiarization flight. The pilot had only one hour of experience in the specific type.
What happened
The incident involved a tailwheel-equipped airplane undergoing a familiarization session. The owner of the aircraft was providing instruction to a pilot who was new to this specific type of landing gear configuration. The session included the demonstration of several maneuvers followed by a successful landing performed by the instructor.
Following the demonstration, control of the airplane was transferred to the student pilot. This individual then conducted an independent landing attempt. During the ground roll after touchdown, the aircraft veered sharply to the left. As a result of this deviation, the right main landing gear separated completely from the fuselage.
Records indicate that the pilot involved in the accident had accumulated only one hour of flight time in this specific aircraft type prior to the event. The limited experience in the tailwheel configuration likely contributed to the difficulty in maintaining directional control during the critical phase of landing rollout.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in the separation of the right main landing gear.