- Date
- June 18, 2006, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Great Falls, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2251CCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060618013379A
- Case key
- 63941
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 adequately compensate for wind conditions. A crosswind 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
In a written statement the pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, near rotation speed, the tail-wheel equipped Cessna was "hit" by a gust of wind. He stated the right wing "went up" and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot was unable to correct the situation and the airplane subsequently exited runway 34. The pilot reported that at some point during this sequence of events, the right main landing gear collapsed. The accident report submitted by the pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
In a written statement the pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, near rotation speed, the tail-wheel equipped Cessna was "hit" by a gust of wind. He stated the right wing "went up" and the airplane veered to the left. The pilot was unable to correct the situation and the airplane subsequently exited runway 34. The pilot reported that at some point during sequence, the right main landing gear collapsed. The accident report submitted by the pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the aircraft at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2251C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30551
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Operator
- Dennis A. Wyatt
- Registered owner
- Wyatt Crane and Rigging Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GTF · Great Falls, MT
- Destination
- FNL · Fort Collins/Lo, CO
- Airport
- GTF · Great Falls Intl, runway 34
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
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 555 total · 337 in this make and model
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.