- Date
- October 8, 2009, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pistol Creek, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1674CCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Boise FSDO
- Case key
- 74882
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 separation of one of the airplane's main landing gear legs during landing in variable gusting wind conditions, due to the nut being stripped from the attachment bolt.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing at a remote dirt/grass airstrip where the winds were gusting and variable in direction. Although the touchdown was normal, as he made rudder and brake inputs to maintain directional control, the right main gear leg separated from its mounting structure, and the right wing sustained substantial damage when it contacted the terrain. An inspection of the gear leg attachment hardware determined that the nut on the gear leg attachment bolt had been stripped from the bolt, thus allowing the bolt to come out of the attachment structure. During the pilot's initial contact with the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge, the pilot stated that the airplane's right brake had failed during the landing roll, but in a follow-up interview the pilot stated that he believes that the brake was working fine until the moment the gear leg separated from its mount.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing at a remote dirt/grass airstrip where the winds were gusting and variable in direction. Although the touchdown was normal, as he made rudder and brake inputs to maintain directional control, the right main gear leg separated from its mounting structure, and the right wing sustained substantial damage when it contacted the terrain. An inspection of the gear leg attachment hardware determined that the nut on the gear leg attachment bolt had been stripped from the bolt, thus allowing the bolt to come out of the attachment structure. During the pilot's initial contact with the NTSB Investigator-In-Charge, the pilot stated that the airplane's right brake had failed during the landing roll, but in a follow-up interview the pilot stated that he believes that the brake was working fine until the moment the gear leg separated from its mount.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1674C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30374
- Airframe hours
- 3,295
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Maslen Holbrook
- Registered owner
- Maslen Holbrook
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 10, 2009
- Departed
- NONE · Emmett, ID
- Destination
- NONE · Pistol Creek, ID
- Airport
- NONE · Pistol Creek, runway 23, 2,200 × 50 ft, dirt
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
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 19, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 25,115 total · 1,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 681 KB in all.
Other investigations on N1674C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.