- Date
- October 3, 2018, 11:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Hailey, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N180BGCessna 180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181003019419A
- Case key
- 98425
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 takeoff in gusting crosswind conditions.
Findings · 4
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 reported that, during takeoff in a crosswind, as the tailwheel lifted off the ground, the airplane veered left. He applied right rudder and hard right brake, but the airplane continued to weathervane. He then applied full brakes and reduced power to idle, and the airplane then departed the runway to the left and skidded sideways on gravel before coming to an abrupt stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system at the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 8 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot was departing from runway 31.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during takeoff, in a crosswind, as the tailwheel lifted off the ground, the airplane veered left. He applied right rudder and hard right brake, but the airplane continued to weathervane. He then applied full brakes and reduced power to idle, the airplane departed the runway to the left, and skidded sideways on gravel before coming to an abrupt stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 8 knots, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot was departing on runway 31.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180BG
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31372
- Built
- 1955
- Airframe hours
- 6,165
- Engine
- Continental O-470S, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2018
- Departed
- SUN · Hailey, ID
- Destination
- MAN · Nampa, ID
- Airport
- SUN · Friedman Memorial, runway 31, 7,550 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 18, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,553 total · 1,005 in this make and model · 1,429 as pilot in command · 43 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 0.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KSUN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 6, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.