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NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 180 · Bozeman, MT · July 19, 2018

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
July 19, 2018, 11:15 local (17:15 UTC)
Place
Bozeman, MT
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N3224DCessna 180
Defining event
Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report September 26, 2019
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20180719011689A
Case key
97880

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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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.

Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna 180: 64 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · PilotCessna 180: 65 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause

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, after a wheel landing, the tailwheel touched down, and it then started shaking violently. In an attempt to stop the shaking, he pushed forward on the control yoke to no avail. He then tried adding power, raised the tail, and let the tailwheel touch down again; however, the tailwheel continued to shake, and the airplane began to veer left, and he corrected by applying right rudder. Shortly after the airplane regained the runway heading, it suddenly veered right, exited the runway to the right, and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that, during landing, the wind was from 010º at 4 knots. The airport's automated weather observation station reported that, about the 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 160° at 4 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 03.

Factual narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, after a wheel landing, the tail wheel touched down on the ground and started a "violent shaking." He pushed forward on the control yoke to raise the tail, increase throttle and subsequently let the tail touched down on the runway again. The tailwheel continued to shake, and the airplane began to veer left but the pilot corrected with opposite rudder. Shortly after the airplane regained runway heading, the airplane veered right, exited the runway to the right and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that, during landing, the wind was from 010º at 4 knots. The automated weather observation station located on the airport reported that, about the 15 minutes before the accident, the wind was from 160° at 4 knots. The airplane landed on runway 03. The pilot did not submit the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report Form 6120.1.

Aircraft

Registration
N3224D
Reported as
Cessna 180 (Undesignat)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
32022
Built
1954
Engine
Amateur/Experimental Unknown, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
BZN · Bozeman, MT
Destination
BZN · Bozeman, MT
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
BZN · Bozeman Yellowstone Intl, runway 03, 2,650 × 75 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
81
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, With waivers/limitations

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
60° at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
75 °F, dew point 45 °F
Altimeter
30.15 inHg
Observed at
KBZN, 1 nm away

Docket · 3

The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 13, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 255 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.