On October 27, 1999, a Cessna 190 (registration N195EL) was involved in an aviation accident near Somerville, NJ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a bounced landing, which led to a groundloop and subsequent flip onto its back. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A light aircraft flipped onto its back after a bounced landing and subsequent groundloop, exacerbated by gusty winds during the rollout phase at the airport.
What happened
The airplane experienced a bounce upon initial touchdown on the runway. During this bounce, a gust of wind pushed the aircraft to the left. The pilot attempted to correct the direction, but the airplane began to groundloop to the right. In an effort to straighten the aircraft, the pilot applied the brakes. This action caused the airplane to flip onto its back.
Post-accident examination of the runway surface revealed skid marks approximately 300 feet in length, consistent with tire drag during the incident. The reported wind conditions at SMQ at the time of the event (1653) were from 010 degrees at 7 knots.
Findings
bounced landing contributed to the loss of directional control
groundloop occurred due to crosswind effects and brake application
loss of control on ground resulted in the aircraft flipping onto its back
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a bounced landing, which led to a groundloop and subsequent flip onto its back.