- Date
- September 13, 2025, 09:06 local (14:06 UTC)
- Place
- Omaha, NE
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N180BTCessna 180H
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 15, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20250913016609A
- Case key
- 200997
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain directional control during landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane.
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 flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was to familiarize the new owner with the airplane and that he was the sole manipulator of the tailwheel airplane’s flight controls. He said that he made a stabilized approach to a wheel landing and as the tailwheel came down, the airplane veered to the left and became uncontrollable. The airplane exited the runway and the right wing dipped and contacted the ground. The airplane received substantial damage to the right wing and right elevator. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180BT
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051815
- Built
- 1967
- Engine
- Continental O-470L, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero Bug LLC
- Registered owner
- Aero Bug LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- MLE · Millard, runway 12/30, 3,801 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 592 total · 11 in this make and model
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 26, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 9,495 total · 12 in this make and model · 9,428 as pilot in command · 63 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLE
- METAR
- METAR KMLE 131415Z AUTO 23006KT 10SM CLR 26/17 A2993 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E T02600171=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 15, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 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.