NTSB CEN22LA004 — 2021-10-04 · Watkins, Colorado, United States

Current FAA registration · N3027B

Make / Model: CESSNA 195B
Year of manufacture: 1952 · 69 years old at event
Engine: JACOBS R-755A2 (300 hp)
Seats / Engines: 5 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20160303
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A32A0F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N3027B Cessna 195 Minor

Probable cause & findings

The separation of the left main landing gear spring during landing roll due to a preexisting fatigue crack.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported he was landing from a personal flight in his tailwheel-equipped airplane when it suddenly swerved to the right shortly after the tailwheel contacted the runway surface during the landing roll. The pilot applied left rudder and brake to regain directional control, but the airplane veered off the right side of the runway into a level grass area. The left main landing gear (MLG) spring fractured where the spring entered the fuselage, which resulted in the airplane coming to rest on the lower left fuselage in a left wing down attitude. The left wing, left aileron, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the left MLG spring revealed a preexisting fatigue crack that initiated from the upper forward edge of the spring adjacent to the fuselage. The fatigue crack likely reduced the overall strength of the landing gear spring which resulted in its separation during the landing roll. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Main landing gear-Failure
— Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Landing gear system-Main landing gear-Fatigue/wear/corrosion

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_CEN22LA004.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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