| Crash location | 27.711944°N, 82.282778°W |
| Nearest city | Wimauma, FL
27.712531°N, 82.298980°W 1.0 miles away |
| Tail number | N89617 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 31 Jul 2004 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 140 |
| Additional details: | None |
On July 31, 2004, about 1335 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 140, N89617, listed with the FAA as "Sale Reported", and operated by a private individual, nosed over during the landing roll at the Wimauma Air Park, Wimauma, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight from South Lakeland Airport, Mulberry, Florida, to Airport Manatee, Palmetto, Florida. The airplane was substantially damaged and the student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated about 1300, from the South Lakeland Airport.
The pilot stated that after departure he elected to divert to the Wimauma Air Park to visit with a mechanic about an annual inspection to his airplane. He circled over the center of the runway at Wimauma Air Park, and entered the traffic pattern for runway 09; the windsock indicated the wind was calm. He turned base then final and touched down in a three-point attitude with full flaps extended, then bounced approximately 1 foot. He eased forward on the control yoke and the main landing gears contacted the runway, while he held the control yoke neutral. The airplane then "nosed over" suddenly coming to rest inverted. He exited the airplane and noted every couple of minutes a gust of wind from the west at 25-30 miles-per-hour. He further reported there was no discrepancy with the flight controls or brakes, and there was, "no problem with the aircraft."
A witness on the field reported that at the time of the accident, the wind was from the west at 5-7 knots; there were no gusts at the time of the accident. During the day, the wind had been from either the southwest or west; the wind direction was changing due to a thunderstorm that was located south of the field. The witness also reported there are two fully operational windsocks located on the airport; both are located south of the south edge of runway 09/27, and near the approach end of runway 09.
The improper in-flight weather evaluation by the student pilot resulting in a downwind landing and subsequent nose over.