- Date
- June 8, 1996, 18:08 local (Jun 9, 1996, 00:08 UTC)
- Place
- Kalispell, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2411CCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960608044199A
- Case key
- 42389
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
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control, due to inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors relating to the accident were: the crosswind and soft/wet terrain near the edge of the runway.
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
While landing in constantly changing winds, the pilot was unable to maintain direction control of the tailwheel equipped aircraft. After the aircraft exited the right side of the runway, the left main gear collapsed after coming in contact with soft, wet terrain.
Factual narrative
On June 8, 1996, at approximately 1808 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180, N2411C, sustained substantial damage in a gear collapse and subsequent nose-down after it departed the side of the runway while landing at Kalispell City Airport, Kalispell, Montana. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The aircraft was being operated under 14 CFR 91 on a local flight from Kalispell City Airport. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. There was no report of an ELT activation.
According to the pilot, he had just returned to the airport after a flight in the local area and was trying to land in winds that were constantly changing direction. After touching down, the pilot found that he had to make strong rudder corrections to compensate for the changing winds. He was ultimately unable to maintain direction control of the tailwheel equipped aircraft, and exited the right side of the runway onto soft, wet terrain. Upon contacting the soft terrain, the left main gear collapsed and the aircraft nosed down into the dirt.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2411C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30711
- Airframe hours
- 6,707
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-470-B, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kirk Van Ogrin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 18, 1996 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- S27 · MT
- Destination
- S27
- Airport
- S27 · Kalispell City, runway 13, 3,600 × 60 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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 485 total · 50 in this make and model · 28 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.