No fatalities

25 Sep 2009: CESSNA 195A — Upland, CA

Upland, CA, United States

On 25 Sep 2009, a CESSNA 195A was involved in an aviation accident near Upland, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During takeoff, the pilot corrected a right drift with rudder, then the airplane veered left as the tail lifted. Despite applying right rudder, directional control was lost, causing the airplane to swerve right and nose over.

Event Overview

A pilot experienced a loss of directional control during the takeoff roll, leading to the airplane nosing over. The pilot reported that during the initial takeoff roll, a slight right drift was corrected using rudder input. As the tail of the airplane lifted from the runway, the airplane unexpectedly veered to the left. The pilot responded by applying right rudder control in an attempt to correct the deviation. However, directional control was not regained, and the airplane subsequently swerved to the right before nosing over.

Pilot Statement

The pilot stated that throughout the event, the airplane and engine experienced no mechanical failures or malfunctions. All control inputs were made as described, and there were no indications of any technical issues with the aircraft systems or powerplant.

Sequence of Events

  • During the takeoff roll, the pilot noted a slight right drift and applied left rudder to correct it.
  • As the tail lifted off the runway, the airplane veered left.
  • The pilot applied right rudder to counter the left movement.
  • Directional control was lost; the airplane swerved right and eventually nosed over.

The pilot did not report any other anomalies or distractions during the takeoff.

Contributing factors

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained