- Date
- July 7, 2019, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Okeechobee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N52031Cessna 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 3
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20190707009379A
- Case key
- 99812
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 while landing with a quartering tailwind, which resulted in a ground loop.
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 tailwheel-equipped airplane touched down on the runway centerline in a 7-knot right quartering tailwind and started to drift left. The pilot corrected with right rudder input, but the airplane started to drift left again. He then applied right brake and rudder input, and the airplane changed direction 30°; however, the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer contacted the runway before the airplane came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, left elevator, and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On July 7, 2019, about 1000 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 180J, N52031, was substantially damaged while landing at Okeechobee County Airport (OBE), Okeechobee, Florida. The airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, about 0900. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down on the runway 5 centerline and started to drift left. He corrected with right rudder input, but the airplane started to drift left again. He then applied right brake and rudder input, and the airplane changed direction 30°; however, the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer contacted the runway before the airplane came to a stop. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Review of damage photographs provided by the pilot revealed substantial damage to the left wing, left elevator, and left horizontal stabilizer. The recorded wind at OBE, at 0955, was from 200° at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52031
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (J)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052451
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 20
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 10, 2019 · 5,579 hours before
- Departed
- FXE · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- OBE · Okeechobee, FL
- Airport
- OBE · Okeechobee County Airport, runway 05, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 81
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 2, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25,179 total · 5,000 in this make and model · 20,000 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KOBE
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 20, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 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.