- Date
- September 22, 2017, 10:39 local (14:39 UTC)
- Place
- Danbury, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9624BCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA/ FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170922020869A
- Case key
- 96084
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 landing roll in gusting wind conditions.
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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the second touch-and-go landing in gusting wind conditions, the "wind got under [the] left wing," and the airplane ground looped to the left. He added that, during the ground loop, he applied brakes, and the airplane nosed over on the runway. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport reported, about the time of the accident, wind from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 20 knots. The pilot reported that the landing was on runway 35. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the second touch-and-go landing, in gusting wind conditions, the "wind got under [the] left wing" and the airplane ground looped to the left. He added that, during the ground loop, he applied brakes and the airplane nosed over on the runway. The right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot did not report that there were any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation station at the airport, about the time of the accident, reported wind from 360° at 10 knots, gusting 20 knots. The pilot reported that the landing was on runway 35. The pilot failed to submit the NTSB Form 6120.1 Pilot/ Operator Aircraft Accident/ Incident Report.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9624B
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32921
- Built
- 1957
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Destination
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Airport
- DXR · Danbury Muni, runway 35, 3,135 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- KDXR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 7, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 525 KB 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.