Cessna 195 accident near Dyersburg, Tennessee, September 18, 2024
On September 18, 2024 at about 2:50 pm local time, a 1948 Cessna 195, registered N195KW, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Dyersburg, Tennessee (Dyersburg Regional Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the tailwheel strut, which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing roll and a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2024 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Dyersburg, Tennessee · Dyersburg Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195, built 1948 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N195KW · registry record · serial 7242
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the vintage tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during landing roll, he heard a “pop,” followed by an uncommanded right turn. He was unable to correct the turn, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The left main landing gear subsequently collapsed on a taxiway, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the tailwheel strut had failed and was in an overextended position, which locked the tailwheel in a right turn. The inspector added that the tailwheel strut had been rebuilt about 15 years and 500 operating hours prior to the accident.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear strut/axle › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 19,024 hours in all; 668 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 12,194 as pilot in command; 1,536 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 9, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,140 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2024; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755 B2 (piston); 1,800 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FYE Somerville TN at 2:23 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 5,698 ft by 98 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from DYR
Weather report (METAR): KDYR 181456Z AUTO 09004KT 10SM CLR 24/17 A3000 RMK AO2 SLP162 6//// T02390172 51009 PNO $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 21, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for the Record - FAA Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA24LA385.