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Pilot Reports Hard Landing and Nose-Over During First Flight to Private Airstrip (N3788V)

Edinboro, PA, US

On June 26, 1996, a Cessna 140A (registration N3788V) was involved in an aviation accident near Edinboro, PA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent nose over. The tailwind was a related factor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-07-04Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot on his first flight to a private airstrip reported a hard landing and nose-over after a side-slip approach with a tailwind.

Accident Details

A pilot experienced a hard landing and nose-over while operating an airplane on its first flight to a private airstrip. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the aircraft.

Pilot's Account

According to the pilot, he spent about one-half hour locating the field. He then made a low pass to inspect the runway and flew a pattern to land. The pilot had been advised that the runway was uphill to the east, so he landed with a slight quartering tailwind. He was high on approach and side-slipped to lose altitude. When he kicked the airplane out of the slip, he had insufficient airspeed to totally arrest the descent, and landed very hard, which resulted in the airplane flipping over.

More accident analyses

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001208X06092. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.