SEA05CA033

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 180 · Billings, MT · January 10, 2005

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
January 10, 2005, 11:40 local (18:40 UTC)
Place
Billings, MT
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N8609XCessna 180
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report March 30, 2005
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20050110000219A
Case key
60832

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The pilot's improper flare and his failure to maintain aircraft control. The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing is a contributing 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.

Hard landingLanding - flare/touchdown
Flare - improperPilot in commandCause
Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skidLanding - roll
Aircraft control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Recovery from bounced landing - improperPilot in commandFactor
Nose overLanding - roll

Analysis

After touching down and bouncing once, the airplane's left wing became elevated, resulting in the right wing striking the runway. The airplane subsequently nosed over and came to rest just left of the runway centerline.

Factual narrative

On January 10, 2005, about 1140 mountain standard time, a Cessna 180, N8609X, sustained substantial damage subsequent to a nose over while landing at the Billings Logan International Airport, Billings, Montana. The airplane is owned by the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight. The flight originated from Dayton, Wyoming, at approximately 1045.

In a written statement, the pilot reported that after touching down, the airplane bounced then settled back to the ground, but the left wing was "somewhat elevated." The pilot further reported that as the airplane rolled forward, the left wing became even more elevated and he wasn't able to lower it, resulting in the right wing striking the ground. The pilot stated that the airplane's forward momentum resulted in the airplane to nose over, coming to rest on its back just left of the runway centerline.

Aircraft

Registration
N8609X
Reported as
Cessna 180
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18051009
Engine
Continental O-470, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Business · Part 91
Registered owner
John M. Heyneman
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
Dayton, WY
Destination
BIL · Billings, MT
Airport
BIL · Billings Logan Intl Airport, runway 25

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
37
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3
Flight hours
271 total · 110 in this make and model · 26 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day

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 N8609X · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.