- Date
- August 10, 2019, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Two Harbors, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N76LGCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 11, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20190810016589A
- Case key
- 100035
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 abrupt maneuver to try and avoid a deer during landing on a grass strip runway, which resulted in a ground loop.
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 reported that, during the landing roll on a grass strip runway, a deer ran across the runway. She "felt [the deer] was too close [to the airplane] to initiate a go-around," so she applied the brakes hard, and the airplane skidded right and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll on a grass strip runway, a deer ran across the runway. She "felt [the deer] was too close [to the airplane] to initiate a go-around "so she applied the brakes hard, and the airplane skidded right and ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N76LG
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (J)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052674
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 4,250
- Engine
- Continental O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 2019
- Departed
- SUW · Superior, WI
- Destination
- TWM · Two Harbors, MN
- Airport
- TWM · Richard B Helgeson, runway 33, 2,581 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,178 total · 855 in this make and model · 1,923 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KTWM
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.