Cessna 195 accident near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, July 28, 2011
On July 28, 2011, a Cessna 195, registered N195SM, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Oshkosh, Wisconsin (Whitman Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the left brake which resulted in a ground-loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2011
- Place
- Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Whitman Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N195SM · registry record · serial 7806
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane and was receiving taxi signals from ground personnel. He reported that he applied both brakes hard, but the left brake failed and the airplane ground-looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage near the main landing gear. A postaccident inspection of the airplane revealed that the left brake was very weak, but there was no evidence of leakage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during taxi (from runway) defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during taxi (from runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,700 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 31, 2010
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755A SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fond De Lac WI at 10:35 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.