- Date
- February 10, 2002, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Jean, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9386CCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20020210004059A
- Case key
- 54206
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.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was conducting a local area flight and intended to make a stop-and-go landing on the dry lakebed at Jean. After landing and bringing the airplane to a stop, he made a practice short-field takeoff with the first notch of flaps extended. He believed that the airplane encountered a dust devil during the takeoff roll and a ground loop ensued.
Factual narrative
On February 10, 2002, at 1200 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 180, N9386C, ground looped during takeoff from a dry lakebed runway near Jean, Nevada. The private-certificated pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The local area, personal flight was operated by the owner under 14 CFR Part 91, and departed from Henderson airport, Las Vegas, Nevada, at 1130. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot told the Safety Board investigator he was conducting a local area flight and intended to make a stop-and-go landing on the dry lakebed at Jean. After landing and bringing the airplane to a stop, he made a practice short-field takeoff with the first notch of flaps extended. He believed that the airplane encountered a dust devil during the takeoff roll and a ground loop ensued.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9386C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31784
- Airframe hours
- 4,820
- Engine
- Continental O-470J, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Peter L. Flangas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 6, 2001 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- L15 · Las Vegas, NV
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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2001
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 100 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.70 inHg
- Observed at
- LAS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 20, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 564 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.