- Date
- June 8, 2023, 17:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stevens Point, WI
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N223WHCessna 180G
- 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
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Milwaukee FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230608012829A
- Case key
- 192356
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 failure to maintain directional control during landing that resulted in a ground loop and impact with the runway.
Findings · 2
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 stated that during the approach to the destination airport, the winds were reported as 040o and 340o at 8 kts. The pilot chose to land on runway 30 because the airport windsock was pointed almost straight down the runway. The airplane touched down smoothly during landing, and he had the control yoke back and the ailerons rotated slightly into the wind in anticipation of a crosswind. The pilot stated the crosswind came suddenly and lifted the right wing. He added left aileron and “strong” left rudder, but it was too late to regain control. The airplane ground looped and struck the runway surface. The airplane sustained substantial damage that included left wing damage inboard of the left wing tip, left aileron, and left elevator. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by reducing flaps from 40o after landing and applying additional aileron control input.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N223WH
- Reported as
- Cessna 180G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051355
- Built
- 1964
- Airframe hours
- 3,012.5
- Engine
- Continental O-470R-35A, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 2023
- Departed
- HLD · Hutchinson, MN
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- STE · Stevens Point Municipal Airport, runway 30, 3,535 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 18, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 484 total · 14 in this make and model · 447 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- STE
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.8 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 N223WH · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.