- Date
- August 5, 2020, 13:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9712GCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200805014269A
- Case key
- 101752
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 improper decision to place a passenger and baggage in the rear baggage compartment, which resulted in an aft center of gravity, an increase in directional instability, and affected the pilot’s ability to maintain directional control, resulting in a ground loop during the landing roll.
Findings · 4
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 reported that during the landing roll, the airplane immediately veered right as the tailwheel contacted the runway. The pilot applied full left rudder to no avail, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing and horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot stated that the right brake may have dragged and that the tailwheel may have tilted over during the touchdown. Postaccident examination of the runway marks, brakes, and tailwheel revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The wind was reported as 30° right of runway heading at 4 knots. According to first responders, three passengers were sitting in the airplane’s front two rows, and one passenger and multiple bags were in the rear baggage compartment, which was not equipped with a seat. This likely resulted in the airplane having an aft center of gravity and increased the airplane’s tendency to weathervane into the wind and the airplane’s directional instability.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9712G
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052212
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 6,386
- Engine
- Continental O-470-50, 275 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Minta Inc, doing business as Bigfoot Air
- Registered owner
- Reynolds Frederick A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 26, 2020
- Departed
- PAPN · Pilot Point, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- ENA · Kenai Muni, runway 02R, 7,855 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 7,500 in this make and model · 9,500 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.67 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEN
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 3, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.9 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.