- Date
- May 1, 2015, 09:40 local (14:40 UTC)
- Place
- Pearland, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N66048Cessna 180K
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150501005629A
- Case key
- 91121
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 the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
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 pilot stated that during the takeoff roll, the tail of the airplane began to lift, and an increasing amount of right rudder was required to maintain directional control and he believed that the airplane was at the beginning stages of a ground loop. The pilot reported that he applied full right rudder with a "stab" of right brake, the airplane stopped going to the left, and the right main wheel "snagged" the edge of a ditch and spun the airplane to the right, which resulted in substantial damage to the right aileron and wing. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during the takeoff roll, the tail of the airplane began to lift, and an increasing amount of right rudder was required to maintain directional control and he believed that the airplane was at the beginning stages of a ground loop. The pilot reported that he applied full right rudder with a "stab" of right brake, the airplane stopped going to the left, and the right main wheel "snagged" the edge of a ditch and spun the airplane to the right, which resulted in substantial damage to the right aileron and wing. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N66048
- Reported as
- Cessna 180K (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052913
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 3,633
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wood Denton A.
- Registered owner
- Wood Denton A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 16, 2014
- Departed
- LVJ · Houston, TX
- Destination
- RQO · El Reno, OK
- Airport
- LVJ · Pearland Rgnl, runway 32, 4,313 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 17, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,701 total · 18 in this make and model · 1,494 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KLVJ
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.0 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.
Other investigations on N66048 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.