No fatalities

16 Jul 2014: CESSNA 120 — KEPNER CHARLES M — Midland, MI

Midland, MI, United States

On 16 Jul 2014, a CESSNA 120 operated by KEPNER CHARLES M was involved in an aviation accident near Midland, MI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient airspeed and his delayed application of engine power while on short final which resulted in a hard landing. 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

A tailwheel airplane experienced a hard landing and nosed over after the pilot encountered a significant sink rate on short final while attempting a short field landing, resulting in substantial damage.

Incident Overview

A pilot flying a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he maintained minimum airspeed on short final in preparation for a short field landing. As the aircraft cleared trees at the approach end of the runway, a "significant sink rate" developed. The pilot applied power, but the thrust increase was insufficient to arrest the descent.

Landing and Damage

The airplane landed hard on its main wheels, causing the propeller to strike the grass runway. During the landing roll, the aircraft nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the firewall and empennage.

Aircraft and Pilot Information

The pilot stated that there was no malfunction or system failure of the airplane prior to the accident. The specific aircraft type, registration, and other details were not disclosed in the report.

Contributing factors

Airspeed — Not attained/maintainedPowerplant parameters — Not attained/maintainedPilot