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20170730015539I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 180H · Oshkosh, WI · July 30, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 30, 2017 · 06:18 local
Place
Oshkosh, WI
Airport
Wittman Regional
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N180EM
Reported as
Cessna 180H
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,310 total576 in this make and model48 in the last 90 days
N180EMRegistered now · Cessna 180HS/N 18052034 · Built 1969Airframe modelCessna 180HEngine 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.

On Sunday, July 30 2017 the pilot of a Cessna 180 while taxiing to leave Oshkosh felt the aircraft was not handling correctly so he decided to taxi back to parking to investigate. During the taxi process the pilot needed to maintain pressure on the right brake pedal to keep the aircraft straight. The constant pressure on the brake pedal created an excessive amount of heat which caused the fiberglass wheel pant to start on fire. The passenger noticed the fire and they shut down and exited the aircraft and used an on-board extinguisher to subdue the flames. The aircraft sustained damage to the right side brake assembly, wheel, brake lines and wheel pant. The reason for the abnormal taxi process turned out to be a tail wheel that had gone flat. Appropriate repairs were made to the aircraft and they departed approximately 3 hours later without further incident. Neither the pilot nor passenger sustained injuries. The aircraft was being operated under part 91AND VMC conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

ON SUNDAY, JULY 30 2017 THE PILOT OF A CESSNA 180 WHILE TAXIING TO LEAVE OSHKOSH FELT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT HANDLING CORRECTLY SO HE DECIDED TO TAXI BACK TO PARKING TO INVESTIGATE. DURING THE TAXI PROCESS THE PILOT NEEDED TO MAINTAIN PRESSURE ON THE RIGHT BRAKE PEDAL TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT STRAIGHT. THE CONSTANT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL CREATED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF HEAT WHICH CAUSED THE FIBERGLASS WHEEL PANT TO START ON FIRE. THE PASSENGER NOTICED THE FIRE AND THEY SHUT DOWN AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND USED AN ON-BOARD EXTINGUISHER TO SUBDUE THE FLAMES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT SIDE BRAKE ASSEMBLY, WHEEL, BRAKE LINES AND WHEEL PANT. THE REASON FOR THE ABNORMAL TAXI PROCESS TURNED OUT TO BE A TAIL WHEEL THAT HAD GONE FLAT. APPROPRIATE REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THEY DEPARTED APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS LATER WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER PART 91AND VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.