- 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.
On this page
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.
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.