Cessna 305 N5269G accident near Cortland, New York

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control while landing in a gusting crosswind, which resulted in a noseover. Contributing was the pilot’s lack of familiarity with the airplane.

NTSB analysis

The multi-segment cross-country flight was the pilot’s first time flying the tailwheel-equipped airplane. Arriving at the destination airport, the pilot noted quartering gusts when he cleared a tree line to land on the asphalt runway. Following touchdown, the airplane pulled to the right and he applied left brake to correct; however, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, empennage, and fuselage. Postaccident examination of the brakes revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded wind at the nearest weather reporting facility, about 13 miles southwest of the accident airport, was a quartering right crosswind at 12 knots, gusting to 19 knots at the time of the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA23LA374 for the full record.