# NTSB ANC15IA006: Cessna 180J, N393B, Nome, AK, December 20, 2014 - Type: NTSB incident investigation - Classification: Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report - Date: December 20, 2014, 10:30 local (19:30 UTC) - Place: Nome, AK - Coordinates: 64.512222, -165.445281 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.5122&lon=-165.4453&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Takeoff: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 11, 2015 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 90548 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC15IA006 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/90548/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90548 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15IA006 ## Probable cause The disengagement and subsequent binding of the right tailwheel steering cable, which disabled the rudder system. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Flight control system: rudder control system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022720): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 180J, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022720/cases.md?model=2072622), [All aircraft, 93 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022720/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Takeoff: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 180J, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md?model=2072622), [All aircraft, 410 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane made an uncommanded hard right turn. He attempted to correct for the right turn with left rudder, but the airplane continued turning right. The pilot then input nearly full left aileron, and the airplane began a gradual left turn. After the pilot returned the ailerons to the neutral position, the airplane again immediately turned right. The pilot corrected with left aileron and then made an emergency landing to the departure runway. During the emergency landing, the airplane veered right, exited the runway, and impacted a snow berm, which resulted in minor damage to the landing gear. Examination of the rudder control system revealed that the right tailwheel steering cable had jumped off its pulley and became bound between the pulley and the pulley bracket, which disabled the rudder system. The pulley's guard pin was in place, and the steering cable had separated about 9 inches from the rudder bellcrank and exhibited features consistent with overload. ## Factual narrative On December 20, 2014, about 1030 Alaska standard time, a Cessna 180J airplane, N393B, experienced a flight control anomaly after takeoff, and an emergency landing was performed to the Nome Airport, Nome, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) flight under the provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, when the incident occurred. The solo certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Nome, Alaska, about 1025 destined for Council, Alaska. The pilot reported that about three seconds after takeoff the airplane made an uncommanded hard right turn, he attempted to correct for the right turn with left rudder, but the airplane continued to the right. The pilot then inputted nearly full left aileron, and the airplane began a gradual left turn. After returning the ailerons to the neutral position, the airplane once again made an immediate right turn. The pilot corrected with left aileron, and made an emergency landing to runway 28 at the Nome Airport. During the emergency landing the airplane veered to the right, exited the runway and impacted a snow berm sustaining minor damage to the landing gear. The airplane was examined by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety inspector. From the pilot's position, the rudder is controlled by two cables which proceed from the rudder control bar, make about a 90 degree turn toward the tail via two phenolic pulleys and attach to their respective rudder bellcranks. Two cables then proceed from the top of the rudder bellcranks to their respective attach points on the rudder control horn, while two tailwheel steering cables attach to the lower rudder bellcranks make about a 90 degree turn via two phenolic pulleys to their respective attach points on the tailwheel. During the inspection, the inspector reported that the right tailwheel steering cable had jumped off its pulley and became bound between the pulley and the pulley bracket, disabling the rudder system. He noted that the pulley's guard pin was in place, and that the steering cable had separated approximately 9 inches from the rudder bellcrank, and exhibited features consistent with overload. The closest weather reporting facility was Nome Airport. At 1053, a weather observation from Nome Airport was reporting, in part: wind calm; visibility, 10 statute miles; scattered clouds at 25,000 feet, temperature, 9 degrees F; dew point 3 degrees F; altimeter, 29.30 inHG. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N393B](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N393B), registered now, S/N 18052299, built 1973 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 180J - Registry model: [Cessna 180J](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180j) (registry code 2072622) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-470-R](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-470-r) (registry code 17356, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18052299 - Year built: 1973 - Airframe hours: 4753.6 - Engines: CONT MOTOR IO-470-R 265 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Minor damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Otton Darrin L - Registered owner: Otton Darrin L - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, January 31, 2014 - Departed: PAOM, Nome, AK - Destination: PAOM, Nome, AK - Airport: PAOM, Nome Airport, runway 28, 6,001 × 150 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review April 14, 2013; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 345 total, 240 in this make and model, 300 as pilot in command, 24 in the last 90 days, 1.6 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 9 °F, dew point 3 °F - Altimeter: 29.29 inHg - Observed at: PAOM ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Incident 20141220024119I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20141220024119I), Dec 20, 2014: Cessna 180J, Nome, AK, Minor damage. Pilot reported normal take off roll but said just after lift off, aircraft went into uncommanded right turn. Pilot was able to control aircraft enough to get… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 22, 2015, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=90548. 1.2 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40428232&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.