Cessna 195A accident near Bethel, Pennsylvania, October 31, 2024
On October 31, 2024 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 195A, registered N3083B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bethel, Pennsylvania (Grimes airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 2024 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bethel, Pennsylvania · Grimes · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195A, built 1952 · all 195As on the register
- Registration
- N3083B · registry record · serial 7968
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just completed tailwheel/high performance training and had been signed off by the flight instructor. The pilot stated he wanted to go for another flight to fine-tune his flying skills, and the flight instructor went along with him. The pilot, who was acting as the pilot-in-command, said he made a successful tail wheel-landing, followed by a three-point landing. During the three-point landing, the airplane bounced and veered to the left. The pilot said he tried to correct to the right, but the airplane subsequently ground looped. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and the left wing. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 401 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 339 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 31, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 38,680 hours in all; 990 in this make and model; 266 in the last 90 days; 87 in the last 30 days; 36,227 as pilot in command; 1,861 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 19, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,616 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755 B2 (piston); 19 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11/2, 2,720 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 am from KZER, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KZER 311355Z AUTO 25009KT 10SM CLR 20/09 A3020
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 6 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 ERA25LA036.