- Date
- August 21, 1990, 14:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- San Carlos, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2790XCessna 180H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900821035259A
- Case key
- 26898
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 of the aircraft during the landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of total experience in tailwheel aircraft.
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
According to the pilot, the aircraft was in a three point landing flare attitude just above the runway when the nose began to yaw to the right. The pilot said that he applied a left rudder input to correct the yaw; however, the aircraft touched down prior to the rudder input correcting the yaw angle. The pilot reported that after the main wheels touched the runway he lost control of the aircraft and it ground looped. Examination of the pilot's reported flight time revealed that he has less than 30 hours of time in the Cessna 180H aircraft, and, less than 50 hours of total tail wheel flight experience.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2790X
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 51590
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James I. Hoyle
- Departed
- WVI · Watsonville, CA
- Destination
- SQL
- Airport
- SQL · San Carlos, runway 30, 2,600 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 122 total · 29 in this make and model · 56 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SQL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N2790X · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.