- Date
- April 9, 2011, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2709XCessna 180H
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 12, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20110409008839A
- Case key
- 78828
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 loss of directional control during the landing roll resulting in a ground-loop.
Findings · 2
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 pilot was practicing stop-and-go landings and takeoffs in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the last landing he said the tail bounced to the right, and he did not respond aggressively enough to prevent the airplane from ground-looping. The airplane dragged the right wing on the runway sustaining substantial damage to the wing.
Factual narrative
The pilot was practicing stop and go landings in his tailwheel equipped airplane. During the last landing he said the tail bounced to the right, and he did not respond aggressively enough to prevent the airplane from ground-looping. The airplane dragged the right wing on the runway, structurally damaging the wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2709X
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051509
- Airframe hours
- 4,462
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John Ruehle
- Registered owner
- Cmvii LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2010
- Departed
- PAED · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- PAAQ · Palmer, AK
- Airport
- PAAQ · Palmer, runway 16, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 28, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,700 total · 8 in this make and model · 5,300 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.37 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 3, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 152 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.