- Date
- September 15, 1994, 08:45 local (14:45 UTC)
- Place
- Cut Bank, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4734UCessna 180G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940915027959A
- Case key
- 42024
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
Inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor to the accident was wind 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 landing roll, there was a gust of wind from the right side. The airplane veered to the right and the pilot tried to correct with rudder and braking control. The airplane continued off the runway and ground looped in the soft soil.
Factual narrative
On September 15, 1994, at 0845 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180G, N4734U, ground looped during the landing roll at the Cut Bank Airport, Cut Bank, Montana, during a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight had departed from Lethbridge, Canada, on September 15, 1994, at 0805.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that he made a three point landing on runway 22. During the landing roll, the pilot stated that there was a gust of wind from the right side and the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot applied left brake and rudder control, however, the airplane continued off the runway and ground looped in the soft soil.
The wind after the accident was reported from 260 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4734U
- Reported as
- Cessna 180G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051434
- Airframe hours
- 8,269
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Walter, Francis D.
- Registered owner
- Walter, Francis D.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 22, 1993 · 163 hours before
- Departed
- CYQL · Lethbridge, OF
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- CTB · Cut Bank Municipal, runway 22, 5,307 × 75 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 580 total · 113 in this make and model · 580 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 13 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CTB
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 N4734U · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.