# Accident 20170601007889A: Cessna 180, Ventura, CA, June 1, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 1, 2017, 11:55 local time
- Place: Ventura, CA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.3181° N, 119.3403° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.3181&lon=-119.3403&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3683C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3683C-2019-11-04) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 180 (registry code 2072602, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 180
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,100 total, 1,100 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR17FA117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA117) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170601007889A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 06/01/2017 N3683C A 1954 CESSNA 180 ORIGINATING FROM SANTA PAULA AIRPORT (SPZ) IN SANTA PAULA CALIFORNIA WAS FOUND FRAGMENTED ACROSS A MOUNTAIN NEAR VENTURA CALIFORNIA. TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS 11:55 AM. AN FAA TEAM WAS DISPATCHED FROM THE VAN NUYS FSDO UPON ARRIVAL AT 1:00PM. THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS DOCUMENTED AND PHOTOGRAPHED. THE WRECKAGE FIELD STARTED FROM THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN ON A SOUTHWEST HEADING AS FOLLOWS. THE FUSELAGE WITHOUT THE ENGINE, WINGS AND TAIL WAS FOUND SITTING ON ITS BELLY ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. PROGRESSING DOWN THE HILL TO THE SOUTHWEST, THE FRAGMENTED LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS WERE LOCATED. THERE WERE SIGNATURES OF POSITIVE G OVER LOAD FAILURE OF THE WING SPARS AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. SECTIONS OF THE WING SPAR WERE TORN OUT AND STILL ATTACHED TO THE WING STRUTS. THE ENGINE WAS FOUND ON A LOWER ROAD EMBEDDED IN THE ROAD SURFACE. THE HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL TAIL SURFACES WERE FOUND ON THE NEXT LOWER ROAD. NTSB ARRIVED AND TOOK OVER THE ACCIDENT SITE FROM THE FSDO INSPECTOR FRANK MOTTER FAA IIC. ON 06/02/2017 UPON CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE FUSELAGE ENGINE MOUNT AN AREA OF CORROSION AND A FRESH SPAN FRACTURE WERE NOTED ON THE RIGHT FORWARD ENGINE MOUNT CASTING, THE CORROSION INDICATED THE RIGHT FORWARD MOUNT HAD BEEN CRACKED FOR SOME TIME ALONG WITH A FRESH CROSS SPAN MATERIAL FAILURE OF THE FORWARD LEFT ENGINE MOUNT. THE ENGINE BAY FIRE WALL WAS PULLED FORWARD AND DOWN BY THE MIXTURE AND THROTTLE CONTROL CABLES DURING THE ENGINE DEPARTING THE ENGINE BAY. THE EXHAUST STACKS WERE SHEARED OFF CLEAN. THE AFT FUSELAGE WAS BENT DOWNWARD INDICATING AN ELEVATOR OVER LOAD CONDITION FROM A SUDDEN CHANGE IN THE AIRCRAFT CENTER OF GRAVITY DUE TO ENGINE SEPARATION.

A SEARCH WAS CONDUCTED TO LOCATE THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR N3683C AT THE OWNER'S HANGAR. THE LANDLORD OF THE HANGAR SUPPLIED A NUMBER OF THE PARTNER IN THE AIRCRAFT. ^MR. CANNON^. THE PARTNER IN THE AIRCRAFT MET WITH INSPECTOR MOTTER AND SUPPLIED THE COMPLETE SET OF LOG BOOKS AND RECORDS. A REVIEW OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS WAS COMPLETED INDICATING N3683C WAS IN AN AIRWORTHY STATUS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  RADAR DATA WAS REVIEWED AND INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF N3683C'S BREAK UP. COPIES OF THE MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE MADE AND FORWARDED TO THE NTSB. THE WRECKAGE OF N3683C WAS TRANSPORTED TO PHOENIX AZ. FOR TEAR DOWN INSPECTION BY THE NTSB AND WILL BE PERFORMED ON AUGUST 16TH AND 17TH.

## 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 WPR17FA117](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA117), Jun 1, 2017: Cessna 180 (N3683C), Ventura, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's abrupt and substantial pullup maneuver while flying the airplane above the maneuvering speed, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. The reason for the pilot's maneuver could not be…

## Other reports on N3683C (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19760916028409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760916028409A), Sep 16, 1976: Cessna 180 (N3683C), Corpus Christi, TX, Substantial damage

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.