- Date
- May 3, 1996, 17:05 local (May 4, 1996, 00:05 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Havasu Cty, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4691BCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 20, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960503009369A
- Case key
- 29433
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 inadequate compensation for crosswind conditions and failure to maintain directional control. The wind was a factor.
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 encountered a crosswind during the landing roll. The crosswind lifted the right wing high enough to allow the left wing to drag on the ground. The airplane then ground looped and nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer. The airport manager reported the automatic weather reporting station (AWOS) recorded the winds from 230 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 23 knots at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On May 3, 1996, at 1705 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 180, N4691B, ground looped and dragged a wing while landing on runway 14 at the Lake Havasu City, Arizona, airport. The airplane was substantially damaged and the certificated private pilot was not injured. The airplane was being operated by the pilot/owner as a personal flight. The flight originated in Santa Ana, California, at 1515 hours. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
The pilot reported he encountered a crosswind during the landing roll. The crosswind lifted the right wing high enough to allow the left wing to drag on the ground. The airplane then ground looped and nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer. The pilot said the airport manger stated that the automatic weather reporting station (AWOS) recorded the winds from 230 degrees at 13 knots gusting to 23 knots at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4691B
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31589
- Airframe hours
- 4,614
- Engine
- Continental O-470-J, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Lackerman, Leslie E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1995 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- SNA · Santa Ana, CA
- Destination
- HII
- Airport
- HII · Lake Havasu City, runway 14, 5,500 × 100 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
- 56
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 348 total · 226 in this make and model · 275 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BLH, 60 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.