# Accident 19971228041039A: Cessna 180J, Fort Worth, TX, December 28, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 28, 1997, 14:00 local time - Place: Fort Worth, TX - Airport: Fort Worth Meacham Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.8207° N, 97.3607° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.8207&lon=-97.3607&mi=10 - Aircraft: N121KS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N121KS) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna 180J (registry code 2072622, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180j) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 180J - Reported engine: CONT O470S - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 700 total, 200 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA077) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971228041039A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. WEATHERVANED INTO CROSSWIND TAKING. RUNWAY. ELECTED TURN AROUND. WAS BLOWN OVER. (.19) TAXIING INTO POSITION ON RUNWAY 180. WAS BLOWN OVER BY STRONG WIND GUST. (.4) AS THE TAILWHEEL-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE WAS BEING TAXIED TOWARD THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 34R, IT TURNED TO THE LEFT, NOSED DOWN, AND CAME TO REST BALANCED ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE LEFT WING TIP, AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE LEFT TURN WAS DUE TO A WIND GUST THAT 'HIT THE AIRPLANE AND SPUN IT COUNTERCLOCKWISE.' FOLLOWING THE NOSE DOWN, THE PILOT GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 280 TO 310 DEGREES AT APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS. AT 1353, SEVEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE RECORDED WINDS AT THE AIRPORT WERE FROM A TRUE HEADING OF 300 DEGREES AT 24 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 31 KNOTS. THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT FOR A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 34R (TRUE HEADING 352 DEGREES) WITH A WIND FROM 300 DEGREES AT 30 KNOTS WAS CALCULATED TO BE 23 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND VELOCI TY FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS 12 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY 'SELECTION OF RUNWAY THAT MORE ALIGNS WITH CURRENT WINDS.' (-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT HE TAXIED ONTO RUNWAY 34R, HIGH WINDS WEATHER VANED THE AIRCRAFT INTO A WEST/NORTHWESTERLY DIRECTION. THE AIRMAN DECIDED TO TURN THE AIRCRAFT AROUND. WHEN HE DID, THE WIND PICKED THE BACK OF THE AIRCRAFT UP AND FLIPPED IT OVER ONTO ITS BACK. (.4)AS THE TAILWHEEL-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE WAS BEING TAXIED TOWARD THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 34R, IT TURNED TO THE LEFT, NOSED DOWN, AND CAME TO REST BALANCED ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, THE LEFT WING TIP, AND THE PROPELLER SPINNER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE LEFT TURN WAS DUE TO A WIND GUST THAT 'HIT THE AIRPLANE AND SPUN IT COUNTERCLOCKWISE.' FOLLOWING THE NOSE DOWN, THE PILOT GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE AND ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER, THE WIND BLEW THE AIRPLANE OVER ONTO ITS BACK. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THE WINDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WERE FROM 280 TO 310 DEGREES AT APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 30 KNOTS. AT 1353, SEVEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE RECORDED WINDS AT THE AIRPORT WERE FROM A TRUE HEADING OF 300 DEGREES AT 24 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 31 KNOTS. THE CROSSWIND COMPONENT FOR A TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 34R (TRUE HEADING 352 DEGREES) WITH A WIND FROM 300 DEGREES AT 30 KNOTS WAS CALCULATED TO BE 23 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK, THE MAXIMUM DEMONSTRATED CROSSWIND VELOCITY FOR THE AIRPLANE WAS 12 KNOTS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY 'SELECTION OF RUNWAY THAT MORE ALIGNS WITH CURRENT WINDS.' ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98LA077](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA077), Dec 28, 1997: Cessna 180J (N121KS), Fort Worth, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's improper planning/decision, by allowing the airplane to get in a situation, where he could not compensate for wind conditions. A related factor was the gusty crosswind. ## Other reports on N121KS (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20150615014309I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150615014309I), Jun 15, 2015: Cessna 180J (N121KS), Mckinney, TX, Minor damage. Flight training was being conducted and upon landing at tki, aircraft nosed over on to its nose during roll out. Aircraft nose and propeller contacted ground… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.