- Date
- August 16, 2011, 18:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Stillwater, OK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3316DCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20110816016149A
- Case key
- 81522
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 on-ground loss of control during the landing roll upon encountering a sudden wind shift and gust.
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
During landing, the airplane touched down on the main wheels, and, while the tail was still in the air, the airplane started to weathervane and swerved hard to the right. The left wing struck the runway, and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies. According to the airport's weather reporting station, at the time of the landing, the wind shifted from 180 degrees at 3 knots to 330 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 16, 2011, approximately 1845 central daylight time, a Cessna 180, N3316D, nosed over on landing at Stillwater Regional Airport (KSWO), Stillwater, Oklahoma. The private pilot was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The airplane was being operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from KSWO approximately 1730. According to the pilot, he had made 2 full stall and 3 wheel landings. The control tower cleared him for the option to runway 17. He configured the airplane for a wheel landing. The airplane touched down and during the rollout, with the tail still in the air, the airplane started to weathervane with the wind and swerved hard to the right. The left wing struck the runway and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies. According to the airport's weather reporting station, the wind had been from 180 degrees at 3 knots, then it shifted to 330 degrees at 14 knots, with gusts to 25 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3316D
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32114
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470-K, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David A. Roberts
- Registered owner
- Russell M. Davis
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KSWO · Stillwater, OK
- Destination
- KSWO · Stillwater, OK
- Airport
- KSWO · Stillwater Regional, runway 17, 6,002 × 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 16, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 171 total · 17 in this make and model · 109 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KSWO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 8, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 719 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 N3316D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.