- Date
- August 17, 1994, 18:40 local (Aug 18, 1994, 00:40 UTC)
- Place
- Hite, UT
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2732KCessna 180K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 26, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940817021629A
- Case key
- 42001
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
Compensation for wind conditions and weather evaluation were inadequate. Factors to the accident were: crosswind and gusts.
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 that during the take off ground roll in a crosswind and high gusting winds, just as the tail wheel lifted off, a gust of wind raised the airplane which drifted off the runway. The airplane touched down and began to bounce through the brush. The pilot aborted the take off and the airplane collided with an embankment before coming to a stop.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 1994, at 1840 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180K, N2732K, collided with an embankment during the take off at Hite, Utah. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a company visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight that was conducted under 14 CFR 135. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot and his four passengers were not injured. The flight was departing from Hite and was en route to Moab, Utah.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that he was taking off to the east with a cross wind from the south that was gusting to 40 knots. Just after the tail wheel lifted off the runway, the pilot stated that "...we were hit with a gust that could have been beyond the crosswind component of the airplane..." The airplane lifted off and drifted to the left and off the runway. The airplane touched down again and began to bounce through the brush. The pilot opted to abort the take off and the airplane collided with an embankment before coming to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2732K
- Reported as
- Cessna 180K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18053046
- Airframe hours
- 9,700
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Mountain Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Wischmeyer, James
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 28, 1994 · 70 hours before
- Destination
- CNY · Moab, UT
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- Hite, runway 9, 2,200 × 40 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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,862 total · 1,300 in this make and model · 175 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F
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 N2732K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.