- Date
- December 29, 2018, 14:36 local (21:36 UTC)
- Place
- Bend, OR
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7757CCessna 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
- 20181229021889A
- Case key
- 98823
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 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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during touchdown with the flaps extended, he heard the stall warning horn. Immediately following touchdown, a wind gust caused the airplane to balloon about 10 ft and drift left. The pilot applied power to go around; however, the airplane continued to drift and subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 16 with a crosswind from 250° at 16 knots, gusting to 28 knots. The pilot recommended less flaps and more airspeed when landing in a crosswind.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tail wheel equipped airplane reported that, during the landing touchdown, with flaps extended, he heard the stall warning horn. Immediately following the touchdown, a gust of wind caused the airplane to balloon up about 10 ft and drift left. The pilot applied power to go-around, however the airplane continued to drift and subsequently collided with the ground. The airplane sustained substantially damaged to the fuselage and both wings. At the time of the accident the airplane was landing runway 16 with a crosswind from 250° at 16 knots, gusting to 28 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot recommended less flaps and more airspeed when landing in a crosswind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7757C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30389
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 6,500
- Engine
- Continental O-470-50, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 26, 2018 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- BDN · Bend, OR
- Destination
- BDN · Bend, OR
- Airport
- BDN · Bend Muni, runway 16, 5,200 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 2, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,524 total · 120 in this make and model · 5,300 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 16 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- KBDN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 12, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 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.