Cessna 140A N9497A accident near Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control after encountering a whirlwind or dust-devil during the landing flare.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was practicing touch-and-go landings when the accident occurred. The pilot stated that the tailwheel-equipped airplane encountered an "abrupt gust of wind" during the landing flare that lifted the tail, placing the airplane into a nose-low attitude. The airplane subsequently impacted the runway and nosed over onto its back. The pilot noted that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot reported that during the accident flight he saw several "dust devils" or “whirlwinds” in the agricultural fields surrounding the airport and attributed the wind gust encountered during the landing flare to one of those events. A postaccident review of the available wind data revealed the prevailing wind was from the south at 11 knots, which resulted in a left quartering crosswind of about 7 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA386 for the full record.