- Date
- April 28, 2013, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bethel, ME
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N180VWCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130428008999A
- Case key
- 86745
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.
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
According to the pilot, he applied left aileron on the final approach leg to counteract a left crosswind. The crosswind then ceased, at which point the pilot backed off the aileron input. As the tailwheel-equipped airplane touched down, it encountered another crosswind, and the pilot again applied left aileron to counteract it; however, the left wing and left main landing gear became airborne and the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The pilot then “rode” the right brake, and the airplane continued to the right until the left wing came down and the left main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. The reported wind at a nearby airport about the time of the accident, was variable at 5 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he applied left aileron to his tailwheel-equipped airplane on the final approach leg to counteract a left crosswind. The crosswind then ceased, at which point the pilot backed off the aileron input. As the airplane was touching down, it encountered another crosswind and the pilot again applied left aileron to counteract it; however, the left wing and left main landing gear became airborne and the airplane departed the right side of the runway. The pilot then “rode” the right brake and the airplane continued to the right until the left wing came down and the left main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to left wing. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded normal operation. Winds, recorded at a nearby airport about the time of the accident, were variable at 5 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180VW
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32005
- Airframe hours
- 3,554
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Two LLC
- Registered owner
- Two LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2012 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- 81B · Oxford, ME
- Destination
- 0B1 · Bethel, ME
- Airport
- 0B1 · Bethel Regional Airport, runway 32, 3,818 × 75 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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 110 total · 80 in this make and model · 29 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- BML, 18 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 20, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 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.