What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Sunday, 09/13/2026, at approximately 11:00 am local, a Cessna 180, registration privacy data omitted, experienced a runway excursion and subsequent ground loop during landing roll at Pagosa Springs airport. The commercial/private pilot and three passengers were uninjured, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the occurrence.
The pilot had been operating the aircraft continuously from Thursday through Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, the flights were conducted in support of the local young eagles program. The accident occurred during the fifth flight of the day on Sunday.
The pilot reported that during the day, surface winds shifted approximately 110 degrees. On the final flight out of five, the pilot was established in the airport traffic pattern with three nine-year-old passengers on board. There were approximately 11 other aircraft operating in the traffic circuit at the time. While on the downwind leg, an individual operating the airport UNICOM requested that the pilot execute a short approach, if able, to accommodate a trailing aircraft that had declared a minimum fuel status.
The pilot accepted the request and initiated a short approach. To manage the profile and lose altitude rapidly, the pilot selected full flaps (45 degrees). The reported surface winds during the landing sequence were 260 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot's operational plan was to touchdown and vacate the runway at the first available taxiway turn-off.
The aircraft touched down on the runway centerline with good control. However, during the initial ground roll, the aircraft began to veer to the right. The pilot applied left rudder correction, but the aircraft continued to gradually drift right. The rightward divergence rapidly accelerated before further corrective action could stabilize the aircraft.
The aircraft exited the right side of the runway surface at approximately a 45-degree angle, at which point a ground loop occurred. Following the sequence, the pilot and all three passengers successfully egressed the aircraft without injury.
This report is subject to amedment in the event new information is found.
As the FAA filed it
ON SUNDAY, 09/13/2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00 AM LOCAL, A CESSNA 180, REGISTRATION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, EXPERIENCED A RUNWAY EXCURSION AND SUBSEQUENT GROUND LOOP DURING LANDING ROLL AT PAGOSA SPRINGS AIRPORT. THE COMMERCIAL/PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED, AND THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE.
THE PILOT HAD BEEN OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUOUSLY FROM THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THE FLIGHTS WERE CONDUCTED IN SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAM. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING THE FIFTH FLIGHT OF THE DAY ON SUNDAY.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE DAY, SURFACE WINDS SHIFTED APPROXIMATELY 110 DEGREES. ON THE FINAL FLIGHT OUT OF FIVE, THE PILOT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN WITH THREE NINE-YEAR-OLD PASSENGERS ON BOARD. THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 11 OTHER AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN THE TRAFFIC CIRCUIT AT THE TIME. WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, AN INDIVIDUAL OPERATING THE AIRPORT UNICOM REQUESTED THAT THE PILOT EXECUTE A SHORT APPROACH, IF ABLE, TO ACCOMMODATE A TRAILING AIRCRAFT THAT HAD DECLARED A MINIMUM FUEL STATUS.
THE PILOT ACCEPTED THE REQUEST AND INITIATED A SHORT APPROACH. TO MANAGE THE PROFILE AND LOSE ALTITUDE RAPIDLY, THE PILOT SELECTED FULL FLAPS (45 DEGREES). THE REPORTED SURFACE WINDS DURING THE LANDING SEQUENCE WERE 260 DEGREES AT 5 KNOTS. THE PILOT'S OPERATIONAL PLAN WAS TO TOUCHDOWN AND VACATE THE RUNWAY AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE TAXIWAY TURN-OFF.
THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE WITH GOOD CONTROL. HOWEVER, DURING THE INITIAL GROUND ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VEER TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT RUDDER CORRECTION, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO GRADUALLY DRIFT RIGHT. THE RIGHTWARD DIVERGENCE RAPIDLY ACCELERATED BEFORE FURTHER CORRECTIVE ACTION COULD STABILIZE THE AIRCRAFT.
THE AIRCRAFT EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY SURFACE AT APPROXIMATELY A 45-DEGREE ANGLE, AT WHICH POINT A GROUND LOOP OCCURRED. FOLLOWING THE SEQUENCE, THE PILOT AND ALL THREE PASSENGERS SUCCESSFULLY EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY.
THIS REPORT IS SUBJECT TO AMEDMENT IN THE EVENT NEW INFORMATION IS FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.