Pilot Debrief

CESSNA 190 near Idaho Falls, ID — 2025-04-11

Final reportWPR25LA125
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Date
2025-04-11
Location
Idaho Falls, ID, USA
Airport
IDA
Aircraft
CESSNA 190
Registration
N190CG
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in crosswind conditions.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while conducting a wheel landing the tailwheel equipped airplane, it bounced twice, and he applied nose down elevator pressure to arrest the bounces. While doing so, he relaxed left aileron input, and the left wing began to rise, and the crosswind pushed the airplane to the right. The pilot stated that at this point the airplane was unrecoverable and the airplane ground looped. During the ground loop, the left main landing gear separated, and the left wing and fuselage struck the ground which resulted in substantial damage to both. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 21 with wind from 170° at 11 knots. In a subsequent statement the pilot reported that the initial ground loop occurred because of a loss of aircraft control, but that the failure of the gear leg may have been due to a pre-existing corrosion he observed in the leg after the accident. However, during the removal of the airplane from the accident site the gear leg fracture surface was ground down, and the gear leg welded temporarily back into place. Therefore, a determination of the leg condition before the accident could not be made.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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