N2147CCessna 195B · 1954

On April 8, 2024, about 1615 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 195B, N2147C, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Portales, New Mexico. The pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, he had landed at Portales Municipal Airport (PRZ), Portales, New Mexico, to refuel during a cross-country flight. After refueling, he proceeded to take off on runway 19 with controls applied to counter the left crosswind. He reported that the takeoff roll was normal, and the airplane remained on the runway centerline. He stated that just before the airplane becoming airborne, it veered to the right. When the airplane exited the right side of the runway he brought the throttle to idle and applied maximum braking.

A pilot-rated witness observed the pilot refuel the airplane and believed the pilot topped off the fuel. He also stated there was “a lot” of baggage in the airplane, making the airplane heavy with the 3 occupants. He and another witness observed the airplane taxi to the departure runway and observed most of the takeoff and the accident. The pilot-rated witness stated the windsock indicated there was a quartering tailwind gusting to about 20 knots, and he and another witness commented to each other that the pilot should not takeoff from [rwy 19] because of the tailwind. The pilot-rated witness stated the elevator was “pinned full aft” in the full trailing edge up position during the takeoff

The second witness captured most of the airplane’s takeoff roll and the accident on video. The video matches the witnesses’ recollection of events. The airplane can be seen accelerating, and the engine can be heard operating at a high power setting for about 9 seconds before the airplane goes out of sight behind large fuel tanks located between the witnesses and the runway. The elevator position can be seen in the trailing edge up position as the airplane goes out of sight behind the fuel tanks. The engine can be heard until the airplane reappears from behind the fuel tanks about 3 seconds later. When the airplane reappears, it is in a wings-level, nose-high attitude about 5 ft above the ground. The engine rpm can be heard rapidly decreasing as the airplane comes into view and descended. The left wing dropped momentarily before the airplane's wings leveled. The airplane then made a hard landing off the right side of the runway. The airplane bounced once and then nosed over into the ground before stopping upright. The right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage.

An FAA inspector noted the airplane’s ailerons did not move together during an on-scene examination of the airplane. After the airplane was lifted off the ground, wreckage recovery personnel verified flight control continuity and proper flight control movement before disassembling the airplane for transport to a repair facility. Personnel at the repair facility also examined the disassembled airplane and found no anomalies with the flight control system.

According to the automated weather report, the wind was from 120° at 12 knots. The windsock, as seen in the witness video, corresponded to the witnessed left quartering tailwind.

The Airplane Flying Handbook (Chapter 14: Transition to Tailwheel Airplanes Takeoff) states the following:

“When the appropriate pitch attitude is maintained throughout the takeoff roll, liftoff occurs when the AOA and airspeed combine to produce the necessary lift without any additional “rotation” input. The ideal takeoff attitude requires only minimum pitch adjustments shortly after the airplane lifts off to attain the desired climb speed.

All modern tailwheel aircraft can be lifted off in the three-point attitude. That is, the AOA with all three wheels on the ground does not exceed the critical AOA, and the wings will not be stalled. While instructive, this technique results in an unusually high pitch attitude and an AOA excessively close to stall, both inadvisable circumstances when flying only inches from the ground.”

“It is important to establish and maintain proper crosswind corrections prior to liftoff; that is, application of aileron deflection into the wind to keep the upwind wing from rising and rudder deflection as needed to prevent weathervaning. Takeoffs made into strong crosswinds are the reason for maintaining a positive AOA (tail-low attitude) while accelerating on the runway. Because the wings are making lift during the takeoff roll, a strong upwind aileron deflection can bank the airplane into the wind and provide positive crosswind correction soon after the takeoff roll begins. The remainder of the takeoff roll is then made on the upwind main wheel while the pilot uses rudder to maintain the alignment of the longitudinal axis with the runway. As the airplane accelerates, the pilot smoothly decreases the pitch attitude and adjusts aileron and rudder control pressures to maintain the appropriate crosswind correction. If the pitch attitude remains excessively steep or if it is too flat, crosswind control during the ground roll becomes more difficult. As the aircraft leaves the runway, the wings can be leveled as appropriate drift correction (crab) is established.”