No fatalities

20 Oct 2015: CESSNA 140 — FORT BENTON, MT

FORT BENTON, MT, United States

On 20 Oct 2015, a CESSNA 140 was involved in an aviation accident near FORT BENTON, MT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: A hard landing which resulted in a loss of directional control, main landing gear collapse, and damage to the left wing spar. 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 pilot reported a hard landing with a 5-8 knot tailwind in a tailwheel airplane, leading to loss of directional control, side loading, left main landing gear collapse, and left wing impact. Substantial damage to the left wing spar occurred.

Accident Overview

A tailwheel-equipped airplane experienced a hard landing with a tailwind, resulting in the collapse of the left main landing gear and substantial damage to the left wing spar.

Sequence of Events

The pilot reported that during landing, the aircraft touched down hard while facing a tailwind of 5 to 8 knots. Immediately after touchdown, the pilot lost directional control of the airplane. The loss of control caused the landing gear to be subjected to side loads, leading to the collapse of the left main landing gear. Subsequently, the left wing struck the runway surface.

Damage Assessment

The left wing spar sustained substantial damage as a result of the impact with the runway. The extent of other damage was not specified.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The hard landing and tailwind conditions were reported as contributing circumstances.

Contributing factors

Causes

Descent rate — Not attained/maintainedPilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation