Cessna 195 accident near Leavenworth, Kansas, July 17, 2017
On July 17, 2017 at about 4:20 pm local time, a 1952 Cessna 195, registered N4432C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Leavenworth, Kansas (Sherman Aaf airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadvertent toe brake application during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and 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 17, 2017 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Leavenworth, Kansas · Sherman Aaf · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195 B, built 1952 · all 195s on the register
- Registration
- N4432C · registry record · serial 16017
- 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 airplane reported that he made a normal approach to an asphalt runway. During the landing roll, the tail started to move to the left, and he corrected with left rudder application, but he recalled that "I may have unintentionally put pressure on the left toe brake." The airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane entered a drainage culvert and ground looped to the left. The right main landing gear (MLG) collapsed, and the right wing tip struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right MLG attachment point. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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
- 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 › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Unintentional use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 15, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,554 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R755B SERIES (piston); 3,554 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GLD Goodland KS at 1:00 pm
- Destination: FLV Leavenworth KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 5,318 ft by 102 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KMCI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 27, 2017. 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 | Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.