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20250126000609I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna 180 · Alton, NH · January 26, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 26, 2025 · 14:00 local
Place
Alton, NH
Airport
Alton Bay
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N5543A
Reported as
Cessna 180
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,700 total180 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N5543ARegistered now · Cessna 180S/N 32660 · Built 1956Airframe modelCessna 180Engine 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 1/26/2025, at approximately 1400L, a Cessna 180 departed the KB18 Alton NH ice runway airport, operating under CFR part 91.147 as a sightseeing flight. On board were three passengers and the pilot in command, who held the proper ratings and valid medical certificate to conduct the flight. At approximately 1430, the aircraft attempted a landing at the KB18 airport. During the landing attempt, based on evidence provided to this FSDO and partly witnessed by a FSDO inspector who was conducting routine surveillance at the time, the aircraft attempted to land with a tailwind. Based on the inspector's account of the windsock located adjacent to the approach end of the runway, there was nearly a full deflection tailwind indicated in relation to the direction in which the aircraft was landing. The aircraft touched down briefly and then bounced back into the air. The pilot then initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the aircraft experienced an uncommanded loss of altitude in which it touched back down on the runway, skidded to the right, and began to tip on its right wingtip. The right wingtip made contact with the runway, causing damage to the aircraft. The pilot was able to regain control of the aircraft and climb out. The aircraft landed uneventfully on the subsequent attempt. No injuries were reported.

As the FAA filed it

ON 1/26/2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 1400L, A CESSNA 180 DEPARTED THE KB18 ALTON NH ICE RUNWAY AIRPORT, OPERATING UNDER CFR PART 91.147 AS A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT. ON BOARD WERE THREE PASSENGERS AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND, WHO HELD THE PROPER RATINGS AND VALID MEDICAL CERTIFICATE TO CONDUCT THE FLIGHT. AT APPROXIMATELY 1430, THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED A LANDING AT THE KB18 AIRPORT. DURING THE LANDING ATTEMPT, BASED ON EVIDENCE PROVIDED TO THIS FSDO AND PARTLY WITNESSED BY A FSDO INSPECTOR WHO WAS CONDUCTING ROUTINE SURVEILLANCE AT THE TIME, THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO LAND WITH A TAILWIND. BASED ON THE INSPECTOR'S ACCOUNT OF THE WINDSOCK LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY, THERE WAS NEARLY A FULL DEFLECTION TAILWIND INDICATED IN RELATION TO THE DIRECTION IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY AND THEN BOUNCED BACK INTO THE AIR. THE PILOT THEN INITIATED A GO-AROUND. DURING THE GO-AROUND, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN UNCOMMANDED LOSS OF ALTITUDE IN WHICH IT TOUCHED BACK DOWN ON THE RUNWAY, SKIDDED TO THE RIGHT, AND BEGAN TO TIP ON ITS RIGHT WINGTIP. THE RIGHT WINGTIP MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CLIMB OUT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED UNEVENTFULLY ON THE SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.