FULLERTON : Pilots Escape Injury When Plane Flips

A vintage, single-engine airplane flipped over after landing at Fullerton Airport Tuesday morning, forcing closure of the single runway but causing no injuries.

“All that was injured was some pride,” said airport director Roland Elder. “(The pilots) were inside drinking coffee after it happened.”

The aircraft was a four-passenger Cessna 195, built about 40 years ago, said Sylvia Palmer, a public information officer at the airport. The plane approached from the west and touched down at 7:20 a.m., Palmer said.

The two men aboard, Jack Viney of Corona and David Widrig of Brea, both experienced pilots, appeared to have made a successful landing, Elder said, but the Cessna 195 is known for its difficult maneuverability on the ground.

“It’s called a ‘tail-dragger’ because it has a (small) wheel on the tail and two (landing-gear wheels) up near the front,” he said. “These are very difficult planes to land and taxi.”

When Widrig applied the brakes, the plane’s nose tipped downward, causing the aircraft to flip over, Elder said. Although there was no fuel leakage, the fuselage was extensively damaged.

The runway was closed briefly while officials awaited Federal Aviation Administration investigators.

Several planes have crashed near the Fullerton airport in recent years. In February, a single-engine plane lost power and overturned shortly after takeoff and crash-landed in a nearby strawberry field. The pilot was not hurt.