- Date
- February 20, 2013, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Halifax, NC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9411CCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 7, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130220001489A
- Case key
- 86282
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 decision to land in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane directional control during the landing roll.
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
According to the pilot, after landing with a 90-degree crosswind at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots, the wind lifted the left wing, and the airplane "skipped" to the right about three or four times before the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest 180 degrees from the runway heading. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage landing gear bulkhead assembly, landing gear attachment angle, and the left wing strut attachment angle. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane first touched down between the centerline and the left edge of the runway. The airplane bounced a minimum of four times with each bounce progressively closer to the left edge of the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, after landing on runway 20 with a ninety degree crosswind and a seven knot gust, the wind lifted the left wing and the airplane "skipped" to the right about three or four times before the left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest 180 degrees from runway heading. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the airplane first touched down between the centerline and the left edge of runway 20. The airplane bounced a minimum of four times with each bounce progressively closer to the left edge of the runway. The tracks indicate travel back towards the runway centerline and the airplane spinning to the right. Four gouges in the runway indicate two marks from the left main landing gear rim and two marks from the airplane propeller. The left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest on the left wing tip. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage landing gear bulkhead assembly, landing gear attachment angle, and to the left wing strut attachment angle. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9411C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31809
- Airframe hours
- 5,182
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stephenson James E
- Registered owner
- Stephenson James E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 78NC · Varina, NC
- Destination
- IXA · Roanoke Rapids, NC
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- IXA · Halifax-Northampton Regional, runway 20, 5,500 × 101 ft, asphalt
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 9, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 527 total · 65 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IXA
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 6, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.