- Date
- December 31, 2008, 14:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Port Orange, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N37MDCessna 180K
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20081231854339A
- Case key
- 73192
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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during landing. Contributing to the accident were the gusting wind conditions and the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model airplane.
Findings · 4
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, who recently acquired the airplane, was receiving instruction for insurance purposes. After performing some airwork, the pilot returned to the traffic pattern for landing practice and joined a left downwind leg for runway 23. On short final, he lowered flaps to 40 degrees and the airplane slowed to 60 knots. At 15 feet above ground level, the airplane "came down hard" on the runway numbers. The left and right main landing gear failed and the airplane received structural damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 235 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts to 15 knots. He also reported that windshear occurred and they were unable to react quickly enough to prevent the hard landing. The reported wind at a nearby airport about the time of the accident was from 280 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot reported total flight experience of 1,354 hours, of which 3 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane and 3 hours were flown during the 90-day period preceding the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot, who recently acquired the Cessna 180K airplane, was receiving instruction for insurance purposes. After some airwork was performed, the flight returned to the traffic pattern for landing practice. The pilot entered the traffic pattern and joined a left downwind leg for runway 23. On short final, flaps were lowered to 40 degrees and the airplane was slowed to 60 knots. At 15 feet above ground level, the airplane "came down hard" on the runway numbers. The left and right main landing gear failed and the airplane came to a stop on the right edge of the runway. Structural damage to the lower fuselage resulted. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 235 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts to 15 knots. He also reported that windshear occurred and they were unable to react quickly enough to prevent the hard landing. The reported wind at a nearby airport, about the time of the accident, was from 280 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot reported a total flight experience of 1,354 hours; of which, 3 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane and 3 hours were flown during the 90-day period preceding the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N37MD
- Reported as
- Cessna 180K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18053012
- Airframe hours
- 2,788
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Andrew G. Spaulding
- Registered owner
- Andrew G. Spaulding
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2008 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- 7FL6 · Port Orange, FL
- Destination
- 7FL6 · Port Orange, FL
- Airport
- 7FL6 · Spruce Creek Airport, runway 23, 4,400 × 200 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 11, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,354 total · 3 in this make and model · 1,285 as pilot in command · 3 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 12, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 13,000 total · 200 in this make and model · 12,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- EVB, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.