- Date
- February 28, 2024, 15:52 local (21:52 UTC)
- Place
- Alexandria, LA · LAT/LON is center of the airfield
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7770KCessna 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
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240228002089A
- Case key
- 193875
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 the landing roll with a gusting crosswind.
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
The pilot encountered a gust of wind about halfway through his landing roll. He was unable to counter the gust with full aileron and rudder deflections, which resulted in a loss on control and ground loop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer, and right elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 9 with wind from 020° at 12 knots with gusts to 22 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7770K
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (J)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052726
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 2,333.7
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 13, 2024 · 29.7 hours before
- Departed
- 4R9 · Dauphin Island, LA
- Destination
- ESF · Pineville, LA
- Airport
- ESF · Esler Rgnl, runway 09/27, 5,998 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 73
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,790 total · 360 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KESF, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KESF 282153Z AUTO 02012G22KT 10SM CLR 17/01 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP219 T01720006=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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 N7770K · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.