Cessna 140 near Halls, TN — 2008-02-19

Probable cause

The flight instructor's inadequate remedial action. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) was preparing the student pilot to solo. The airplane touched down uneventfully, however, toward the end of the landing roll, the CFI instructed the student pilot to make a 180-degree turn, and back-taxi on the runway. As the student pilot began a right turn, the airplane traveled over a hump in the runway, which startled the student pilot. The student pilot applied right rudder in an attempt to move away from the hump, and the CFI perceived him as over-controlling the airplane. The CFI inputted left rudder pedal; however, the student pilot had also depressed the right brake. The airplane continued to turn right, the left main landing gear traveled off the runway, and the left wing contacted a berm causing substantial damage. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilots report any.

NTSB coding

• Loss of control on ground · Landing-landing roll
• Delayed Action

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