Cessna 140 N72688 accident near Monmouth, Illinois

Probable cause

The pilot's loss of airplane control during the landing roll.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane when the airplane's tail inadvertently became airborne during the landing roll and that he was unable to regain control before the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest upside down on the runway centerline. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded the normal operation of the airplane. Although the pilot attributed the cause of the accident to his inadvertently landing with a tailwind, a review of historical wind data indicated that the prevailing wind would have resulted in a left crosswind of about 5 knots and a negligible tailwind component.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11LA595 for the full record.