# NTSB CEN21LA182: Cessna 180, N4802, Denver, CO, April 2, 2021 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: April 2, 2021, 12:35 local (18:35 UTC) - Place: Denver, CO - Coordinates: 40.109153, -104.71384 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.1092&lon=-104.7138&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing: Wrong surface or wrong airport](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/284) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 102877 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA182 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102877/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102877 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA182 ## Probable cause The pilot’s loss of situational awareness, and his unintended landing on a soft unimproved dirt road, which resulted in a loss of directional control into soft ground and the airplane to subsequently nose over. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Perception/orientation/illusion: situational awareness](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022035): Personnel issues › Psychological · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 180K, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022035/cases.md?model=2072624), [All aircraft, 111 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02022035/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 180K, 8 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=2072624), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface: soft surface](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023020): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 180K, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023020/cases.md?model=2072624), [All aircraft, 264 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03023020/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Wrong surface or wrong airport](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/284) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 180K, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/284/sequence.md?model=2072624), [All aircraft, 56 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/284/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230); cases with it: [Cessna 180K, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=2072624), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096); cases with it: [Cessna 180K, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md?model=2072624), [All aircraft, 2,287 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/096/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he saw, what appeared to be his intended landing runway and set up for landing. During the landing touchdown, the pilot noticed that the airplane was difficult to control due to the soft soil. As the airplane continued the rollout, it drifted about 20 ft off the pilot’s intended direction into softer soil. Just before the airplane came to a stop, the right tire sunk into the soft ground and the airplane nosed over coming to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right-wing strut and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. After the accident, the pilot reported that he had not landed on his intended runway but on an unimproved dirt road about 0.3 miles from the runway that ran parallel to the runway. The pilot reported that he had spent too much time looking for traffic in the landing pattern and lost situational awareness of his position relative to the runway. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4802](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4802), registered now, S/N 18053017, built 1978 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 180 (K) - Registry model: [Cessna 180K](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180k) (registry code 2072624) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18053017 - Year built: 1978 - Airframe hours: 15000 - Engines: CONT MOTOR O-520 SERIES 275 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: None - Last inspection: Annual, February 1, 2021 - Departed: FNL, Fort Collins, CO - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: 18V, Platte Valley Airpark - Equipment: ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Onboard weather ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 62; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review March 6, 2021; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 580 total, 491 in this make and model, 515 as pilot in command, 5 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 72 °F, dew point 9 °F - Altimeter: 30.07 inHg - Observed at: KDEN, 17 nm away - METAR: KDEN 021753Z VRB06KT 10SM FEW100 SCT140 BKN200 22/M13 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP126 T02171133 10217 20067 50002 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20210402003339A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210402003339A), Apr 2, 2021: Cessna 180K, Fort Lupton, CO, Substantial damage. On April 2, 2021 [privacy data omitted], a Cessna 180-K, was attempting to land on runway 27 at Platte Valley Airpark (18V) at about 155PM MDT. The aircraft… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 12, 2021, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102877. 4.2 MB in all. - NTSB form 6120 pilot operator report CEN21LA182 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 1.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12149485&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120%20Pilot%20Operator%20Report%20CEN21LA182_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Photo array CEN21LA182 (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=12149090&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20CEN21LA182_Redacted-Rel.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.