- Date
- July 9, 2018, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cut Bank, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N180GBCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180709009439A
- Case key
- 97720
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.
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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he circled the airport to check the wind direction and speed and then he initiated a final approach about 70 knots with 3 notches of flaps. He reported that the airplane encountered a wind gust before he initiated the landing flare. Upon touchdown, the airplane bounced, and he applied forward yoke pressure. The airplane began to drift right of the runway centerline during the landing roll, and he applied left rudder and left aileron to counter the drift, but when the tailwheel touched down, the airplane veered left. He applied right rudder and right brake, but the right main landing gear collapsed, the left wing lifted, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane exited the left side of the runway, and it came to rest in the grass safety area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to right wing spar. The pilot reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was about 7 knots from the west-southwest. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 32. The METAR at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was calm and the skies were clear. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he circled the airport to check the wind direction and speed, and then he initiated a final approach about 70 knots with 3 notches of flaps. He reported that the airplane encountered a wind gust prior to initiating the landing flare. Upon touchdown of the wheel landing the airplane bounced and he applied forward yoke pressure. The airplane began to drift to the right of the runway center line during the landing roll and he applied left rudder and left aileron to counter the drift, but when the tailwheel touched down, the airplane veered to the left. He applied right rudder and right brake, but the right main landing gear collapsed, the left wing lifted, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane exited the left side of the runway and it came to rest in the grass safety area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to right wing spar. The pilot reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from the west-southwest, about 7 knots. The pilot landed on runway 32. The METAR at the accident airport reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was calm, and the skies were clear. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180GB
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30498
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 4,273.9
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 20, 2018
- Departed
- CYQE · Red Deer
- Destination
- CTB · Cut Bank, MT
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CTB · Cut Bank Intl, runway 32, 5,300 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,163.1 total · 176.5 in this make and model · 3,141.6 as pilot in command · 118.4 in the last 90 days · 58.7 in the last 30 days · 8.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KCTB
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 11, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.