# NTSB SEA01LA136: Cessna 180K, N64426, Quincy, WA, July 19, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 19, 2001, 10:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: Quincy, WA - Coordinates: 47.169666, -119.799301 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.1697&lon=-119.7993&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 1, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Spokane FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 52786 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA01LA136 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52786/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA01LA136 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include an encounter with a dust devil/whirlwind. ## Analysis The flight instructor, who was sitting in the right seat, was demonstrating his short-field landing technique to the owner of the aircraft. Just as the aircraft touched down, it encountered a dust devil/whirlwind. The rotational force imparted to the aircraft by the whirlwind made it hard to control at its low forward speed. The instructor pilot elected not to execute a go-around, and even with both rudder and differential brake application, he was not able to keep the aircraft from departing the side of the runway. After it departed the runway, the aircraft encountered soft, sandy terrain, and nosed over onto its back. ## Factual narrative On July 19, 2001, approximately 1000 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180K, N64426, nosed over during the landing roll at Quincy Municipal Airport, Quincy, Washington. The certified flight instructor and his airline transport pilot rated student were not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the student, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, which departed Wenatchee, Washington, about 90 minutes prior to the accident, had been operating in the Quincy traffic pattern for about 10 minutes. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the instructor, who was sitting in the right seat, he was demonstrating a short-field landing while the aircraft owner, who was in the left seat, observed. The aircraft reportedly touched down on the desired spot in a three-point attitude, tracking straight down the runway. Then, just after touchdown (1-2 seconds), the aircraft veered to the right "rather quickly," and the instructor aggressively applied left rudder. When he found that left full rudder did not stop the aircraft from veering further to the right, the pilot also applied left brake. According to the pilot, at that point in time, "Due to the speed of the event, adding power and getting out of the situation did not look like a prudent course of action." The aircraft continued to veer to the right, departed the runway, and encountered soft, sandy terrain. The pilot reported that when it rolled onto the soft terrain, even though he had the yoke full aft, the aircraft's main gear sank into the terrain and it nosed over onto its back. Further discussions with the instructor pilot revealed that soon after the accident, he spotted a number of dust devils in the area. It was his opinion that the aircraft had encountered a whirlwind just as it touched down, and that because of the slow forward speed of the aircraft, the rotational forces created by the wind made the aircraft hard to control. According to the FAA Operations Inspector who responded to the accident, there was no evidence of any malfunction in the aircraft's tailwheel steering system or main gear braking systems. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - dust devil/whirlwind (contributing factor) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N64426](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N64426), registered now, S/N 18052897 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 180K - Registry model: [Cessna 180K](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180k) (registry code 2072624) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18052897 - Engines: Continental O-470 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Donald B Keown - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: 80WA - Destination: Quincy, WA - Airport: 80WA, Quincy Municipal, runway 27, 3,660 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 42; injuries: none; flight instructor, airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review December 8, 2000; seat: right; flight hours: 18,500 total, 350 in this make and model, 17,500 as pilot in command, 250 in the last 90 days, 90 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010719017979A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010719017979A), Jul 19, 2001: Cessna 180K, Quincy, WA, No damage. (-23) While demonstrating a short field landing, pilot/cfi lost control of aircraft. Aircraft departed right side of runway and turned over. ## Other investigations on N64426 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB OAK78DXQ18](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/OAK78DXQ18), Apr 20, 1978: Cessna 180 (N64426), Ely, NV, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.