20040312006419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 180H · Birchwood, AK · March 12, 2004

Date: March 12, 2004 · 12:00 local
Place: Birchwood, AK
Airport: Birchwood Airport
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7937V
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC04LA030
Reported as: Cessna 180H
Reported engine: Continental O470*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 499 total3 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N7937VRegistered now · Cessna 180HS/N 18051837 · Built 1967 Airframe modelCessna 180H Engine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The pilot intended to practice takeoffs and landings in the Birchwood Airport traffic pattern. For the first landing of the day he elected to perform a wheel landing with an estimated 7 knot left quartering tailwind. The airplane tracked straight on the main wheels but, when the tail wheel touched down, the airplane veered to the right, struck a snow bank on the side of the runway, and nosed over. The pilot noticed a right turning tendency on previous flights and noted that the left main wheel tire showed more wear then the right.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT INTENDED TO PRACTICE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN THE BIRCHWOOD AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN. FOR THE FIRST LANDING OF THE DAY HE ELECTED TO PERFORM A WHEEL LANDING WITH AN ESTIMATED 7 KNOT LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE AIRPLANE TRACKED STRAIGHT ON THE MAIN WHEELS BUT, WHEN THE TAIL WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN, THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE RIGHT, STRUCK A SNOW BANK ON THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT NOTICED A RIGHT TURNING TENDENCY ON PREVIOUS FLIGHTS AND NOTED THAT THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL TIRE SHOWED MORE WEAR THEN THE RIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC04LA030Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportChugiak, AKThe pilot's inadequate compensation for a crosswind condition during the landing roll, which resulted in a loss of control, and an on ground collision with a snow bank. A factor associated with the accident was a crosswind.Mar 12, 2004 · Substantial damage