NTSB CEN20CA289 — 2020-07-17 · Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States

Current FAA registration · N86WM

Make / Model: CESSNA ECTOR 305A
Year of manufacture: 1967 · 53 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19960304
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S ABCE7E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N86WM Cessna 305 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during landing resulting in a nose over.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported he was on a cross-country flight with a passenger. On approach, he followed an airplane established on a left downwind for the runway. The pilot extended the airplane's downwind to allow space for the landing airplane to clear the runway. The pilot elected to use the paved runway instead of the 800-ft grass landing area adjacent to the paved runway because of the clearing airplane. He subsequently lost directional control during the landing and the airplane exited the paved surface. A "juggle" of the pilot's feet on the rudder pedals occurred during the excursion, which resulted in "over braking" and the airplane subsequently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial fuselage and empennage damage. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions during the flight and his safety recommendation was, "Never underestimate a tailwheel airplane!" Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20CA289.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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