- Date
- August 30, 2015, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N59180Cessna 180B
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20150830016309A
- Case key
- 91898
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 excessive use of brakes during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over.
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 pilot reported that while landing his tundra tire-equipped, tailwheel airplane at a remote airstrip, he encountered light windshear on short final. The airplane subsequently touched down harder than expected and bounced. In an effort to recover from the bounce, the pilot applied forward elevator control. After the main wheels were firmly on the ground, he applied aft elevator control and brake pressure, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and sustaining substantial damage to the rudder, vertical stabilizer, wings and right lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while landing his tundra tire-equipped, tailwheel airplane at a remote airstrip, he encountered light windshear on short final. The airplane subsequently touched down harder than expected and bounced. In an effort to recover from the bounce, the pilot applied forward elevator control. After the main wheels were firmly on the ground, he applied aft elevator control and brake pressure, which resulted in the airplane nosing over and sustaining substantial damage to the rudder, vertical stabilizer, wings and right lift strut. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N59180
- Reported as
- Cessna 180B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 50582
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 3,640.1
- Engine
- Cont Motor O 470R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Above Alaska Aviation
- Registered owner
- Aspenglow LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2015
- Departed
- PATK · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- PVT · Skwentna, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PVT · Chelatna Lake Strip, runway 24, 1,600 × 75 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 899 total · 6 in this make and model · 899 as pilot in command · 121 in the last 90 days · 82 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.36 inHg
- Observed at
- PATK, 42 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 6, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 MB 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 N59180 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.