- Date
- June 21, 2010, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Big Creek, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N2350CCessna 180
- Defining event
- Taxi: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 76385
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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while taxiing at an unfamiliar airstrip.
Findings · 2
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 reported that while taxiing a tail wheel-equipped airplane down a slope the airplane began to slide sideways and the empennage turned downslope. Despite the pilot’s control inputs, the empennage reached approximately a 90-degree angle to the desired direction and the airplane tipped to the left. During the accident sequence, damage was incurred to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by obtaining more knowledge concerning the airstrip.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while taxiing a tailwheel-equipped airplane down a slope the airplane began to slide sideways and the empennage turned downslope. Despite the pilot’s control inputs, the empennage reached approximately a 90-degree angle to the desired direction and the airplane tipped to the left. During the accident sequence, damage was incurred to the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine prior to the accident. The pilot stated the accident could have been prevented by obtaining more knowledge concerning the airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2350C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30650
- Airframe hours
- 4,681
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Keating John C
- Registered owner
- Keating John C
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 18, 2009 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- I08 · Big Creek, ID
- Destination
- N/A · Big Creek, ID
- Airport
- N/A · Mile Hi, runway 19, 600 × 30 ft, grass/turf
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
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 3, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,775 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 3,656 as pilot in command · 175 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- KSMN, 54 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 14, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 561 KB in all.