The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Has it ever happened in a Cessna 170 ? - Dry Pavement, heavy braking

Reason for question is I just read an incident in a Start Duster Bi Plane.

Former owner nosed over in 1990 - Current owner nosed over recently. Twice same aircraft.

Brake system was originally from a Cessna 182.

Technical chatter dealt with square inches of brake pad area. Brake system is a mismatch for airframe.

I don't think of a C170 as having too much braking stamina.

Thinking of us rolling to a stop.

182 brakes on a Starduster seems like a lot of brake.

I can see it happening on a wheel landing with the pilot asleep on the yoke but I dont think you could put one over in 3 point just by stomping on the pedals. I'm not about to test my theory.

A lot of 170's have double puck brakes. great on the taxi or cross wind landings. Easy to bring the tail up and or over.

I remember two sayings my first instructor used time after time. Both sayings apply to just about everything in flying, including using the brakes.

"I can teach you but I can't learn you."

"Just enough but not too much."

Well...it ALMOST HAPPENED TO ME!

I was taxying (not at a slow walk...but at a brisk-one) with a tailwind following me at SAT (San Antonio Int'l) and being directed in a "progressive taxi" instruction) by ground control who had requested me to keep my "speed up" while approaching an intersection. Unfortunately another aircraft became an unexpected conflict when they crossed in front of me and I hit the brakes (standard single-puck 6-inch Cleveland wheels/brakes) and the tail came up and the airplane almost nosed-over...
Fortunately I released the brake-pressure as soon as the tail came up and the tail came back down accordingly, and I re-applied brakes...while the crossing aircraft also realized their error and came to a stop.

So...YES...it can happen.

So George, were you taxiing with the control wheel back, with a tailwind?

The reason I ask is one time I was taxiing behind a Cub in a fairly strong tailwind (at Palmer, Alaska which is noted for high wind). The Cub pilot had the stick full aft (like I'm sure his instructor told him to do, which is valid except in a tailwind) and a gust picked up the tail and nosed over the Cub, without any brake being applied, leaving it standing on its nose with a busted prop and sudden engine stoppage issue to deal with.

[quote="hilltop170"]So George, were you taxiing with the control wheel back, with a tailwind? ...quote]

I've known to do better than that since I was soloed back in 1970.... But truthfully cannot recall that detail now... I presume I was doing perfect technique...as always..