Canadian Car & Foundry HARVARD accident near Somerset, Kentucky, July 11, 2016
On July 11, 2016 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1952 Canadian Car & Foundry HARVARD, registered N99CV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Somerset, Kentucky (Lake Cumberland Rgnl 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
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in runway excursion, and collision with an airport sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2016 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Somerset, Kentucky · Lake Cumberland Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Canadian Car & Foundry HARVARD MK IV, built 1952
- Registration
- N99CV · registry record · serial CCF4-206
- 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 tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, and after the tail wheel touched down, the airplane swerved to the right, then to the left, and veered off the runway to the right and impacted an airport sign. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right aileron. Following a postaccident examination of the right/left main landing gear wheel, the pilot sent an email to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector, regarding the Timken bearing for the main landing gear wheel, this email stated in part: "The bearing itself is a stock Timken 18200 bearing, nothing special. While jacked up the wheel turns fine by hand. And this is unlike any failed bearing I've seen. And getting close to a CND (cannot duplicate) condition. I think it is possible the bearing was in the process of failing. At touchdown speeds (approximately 60-80 knots) with little weight on wheels the bearing could lock up or freeze momentarily causing the aircraft to veer right". A photo of the Timken 18200 tapered roller bearing was sent to the manufacturer for further examination. The manufacturer examined the photo and concluded that there was no evidence of damage or scoring, and further reported that if the bearing would have seized, he would have expected to see damage to the rolling contact surfaces.
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 defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 26, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,776.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, March 2, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 (piston); 583 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHD New Philadelphia OH at 3:30 pm
- Destination: SME Somerset KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,801 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:35 pm from KSME
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
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 GAA16CA373.