Cessna 195B N2125C accident near Llano, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s overrotation of the airplane when lifting the tail during the takeoff roll, which allowed the propeller to come in contact with the runway and resulted in a reduction in engine power and the pilot’s subsequent loss of directional control.

NTSB analysis

The pilot said that, when the tailwheel lifted off the runway, the engine lost power, and he thought it had quit. The airplane then pitched forward, and the propeller struck the asphalt runway. The airplane turned slightly right, went off the side of the runway, and nosed over. An examination of the runway found at least 15 propeller strikes in the runway pavement, which is indicative of the engine producing power and driving the propeller. Tire tracks and propeller strikes were observed going off the right side of the runway into the dirt and ending where the airplane nosed over. No anomalies were found with the airplane's controls, engine, or other systems. The pilot likely overrotated the airplane when he lifted the tail for takeoff, and the propeller then struck the runway, which resulted in a reduction of engine power and the pilot's subsequent loss of directional control.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN15LA099 for the full record.