# NTSB SEA98LA061: Cessna 180, N2933C, Redmond, OR, April 9, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 9, 1998, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC) - Place: Redmond, OR - Coordinates: 44.260097, -121.219688 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.2601&lon=-121.2197&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 12, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 42773 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA98LA061 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/42773/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA061 ## Probable cause The passenger-pilot's excessive rate of descent during touchdown. Factors include the pilot-in-command's inadequate recovery from a hard/bounced landing, the passenger-pilot's failure to execute a go-around after taking control of the aircraft, and gusty crosswinds. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - recovery from bounced landing - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) - go-around - not performed, pilot passenger (contributing factor) - descent - excessive, pilot passenger (cause) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - Main gear collapsed, landing - flare/touchdown - landing gear,main gear - overload ## Analysis Because the wind conditions had become too challenging to continue practice landings, the pilot, who had accumulated about 35 hours in conventional gear aircraft, decided to make a full-stop landing. During the landing attempt, the aircraft hit hard, bounced back into the air, and began to drift past the lateral boundary of the runway. At that point there was a voluntary transfer of control of the aircraft to the private pilot-rated passenger, who was co-owner of the airplane. The passenger-pilot, who had approximately 180 hours of conventional gear time, elected not to execute a go-around, but instead continued down the runway and attempted a full stop landing. During that landing attempt, the aircraft hit the runway surface hard enough to damage the gear leg attach saddle, and soon after touchdown, the right gear leg folded back underneath the aircraft. ## Factual narrative On April 9, 1998, approximately 1115 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180, N2933C, experienced a main landing gear failure during a hard landing at Roberts Field, Redmond, Oregon. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft , which was owned by the pilot and the passenger, sustained substantial damage. The local 14 CFR Part 91 flight, which had been in the air for about 15 minutes, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation. According to the pilot, who had accumulated approximately 97 hours of total flying time, with 35 hours in conventional gear aircraft, he had decided to make a full-stop landing because the winds had become too strong, variable and gusty to continue practicing landings. He said that as he tried to land in the gusty conditions, the aircraft hit hard and bounced back into the air and then drifted near the lateral boundary of the runway. At that point there was a voluntary transfer of control of the aircraft to the passenger, who holds an FAA private pilot certificate, and who had accumulated approximately 215 hours of total flying time and 180 hours in conventional gear aircraft. Instead of executing a go-around, the passenger-pilot continued about 1,000 feet further down the runway and attempted to land the aircraft. According to the pilot who originally initiated the landing attempt, during the passenger-pilot's attempted touchdown, the aircraft contacted the runway very hard, and soon thereafter one of the main gear legs folded back under the fuselage. Because the pilot reported that the aircraft had experienced a very hard landing about 40 flight hours prior to this accident, an FAA airworthiness inspector examined the area around the gear leg attach saddle, but no evidence of previous damage was found. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N2933C](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2933C), registered now, S/N 30833 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 180 - Registry model: [Cessna 180](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180) (registry code 2072602) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 30833 - Engines: Continental O-470J 230 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Hocker, William & Lynden - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 4, 1997 - Departed: RDM - Airport: RDM, Roberts Field, runway 22, 7,040 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 97 total, 33 in this make and model, 26 as pilot in command, 1 in the last 90 days, 1 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 10 knots, gusting 15 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 6,500 ft broken ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19980409010139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980409010139A), Apr 9, 1998: Cessna 180, Redmond, OR, Substantial damage. Landing gusty wind. Lost control nosed up. Prop hit runway. Folded right gear. Broke gear strut off mount. (.4)because the wind conditions had become too… ## Other investigations on N2933C (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB DEN87LA136](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN87LA136), May 27, 1987: Cessna 180 (N2933C), Upton, WY, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.