- Date
- June 24, 2010, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cooper Landing, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7715ACessna 180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20100624037819A
- Case key
- 76472
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during takeoff, resulting in an uncontrolled descent and collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airline transport pilot was departing from an off airport site on a flight to his home airport under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that just after liftoff, a wind shift caused the tailwheel-equipped airplane to descend uncontrolled, striking its tail and left main landing gear on the ground. He said the airplane became airborne again, and he flew it back to the airport. He reported that once airborne, he saw that the left main landing gear was damaged by the impact with the ground. An examination of the airplane showed substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and the left main landing gear fuselage attachment.
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot was departing from an off airport site on a flight to his home airport under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The pilot reported that just after liftoff, a wind shift caused the tailwheel-equipped airplane to descend uncontrolled, striking its tail and left main landing gear on the ground. He said the airplane became airborne again, and he flew it back to the airport. He reported that once airborne, he saw that the left main landing gear was damaged by the impact with the ground. An examination of the airplane by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, showed substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and the left main landing gear fuselage attachment.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7715A
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32612
- Airframe hours
- 5,005
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wallace Wayne P
- Registered owner
- Wallace Wayne P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 10, 2009
- Departed
- Cooper landing, AK
- Destination
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 10, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,641 total · 300 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 16, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 909 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7715A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.