Primary finding
Probable cause
The cfi's inproper supervision of the flight, the dual student's improper recovery from a bounced landing, and the dual student's improper use of the brakes. The cfi's lack of total instructional experience is a factor in this accident.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The dual student was practicing wheel landings in a conventional gear airplane. On the last landing, the cfi instructed the dual student to apply the brakes when the airplane was bouncing. The dual student applied the brakes and the airplane nosed over onto its back. The cfi had 12 hours total instructor time of which 3 hours were in the last 90 days.
Source record
Factual narrative
On January 31, 1994, at 1256 hours Pacific standard time, a Cessna 140, N2396V, nosed over while landing on runway 12 at Palo Alto Airport, Palo Alto, California. The pilots were conducting a local visual flight rules instructional flight. The airplane, registered to and operated by the flight instructor, sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated commercial pilot/flight instructor (CFI) nor the certificated commercial pilot/dual student was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Palo Alto Airport at 1200 hours. The CFI reported in a telephone interview conducted on February 1, 1994, that the dual student was "being checked out in conventional gear airplanes." The dual student was receiving wheel landing instruction and had made four or five takeoffs and landings before the accident. On the accident landing, the airplane bounced several times. When the airplane stopped bouncing and was rolling on the main wheels, the dual student applied heavy braking at his instruction. The airplane nosed down and flipped over onto its back. In a telephone interview conducted on February 1, 1994, the dual student said the airplane bounced several times and nosed over when he applied the brakes. He said that the airplane did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures. The CFI submitted the required Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, to the National Transportation Safety Board, Southwest Regional Office. In the report, the CFI said the accident occurred on the fifth landing. The airplane ". . . bounced lightly a few times, then bounced, pitched down & [and] over . . .." He said there was no time to react to arrest the nose over. The dual student submitted a partial Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2. He confirmed the CFI's written statement in the Aircraft Accident Report. Neither the CFI nor the dual student said anything about applying the brakes in their respective written statements. -