- Date
- January 26, 2011, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Helena, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9067MCessna 180H
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Helena FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110126000419A
- Case key
- 78224
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 certified flight instructor's loss of airplane control during the landing roll in a gusting crosswind.
Findings · 5
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
During the first part of the training flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot receiving instruction made four takeoffs and landings on a runway that was almost directly aligned with the oncoming wind. At that point the certified flight instructor (CFI) took over in order to demonstrate a landing on a different runway where there was a crosswind of about 10 to 12 knots at 90 degrees to the runway. The CFI made a successful touchdown on the main landing gear wheels, but as the airplane slowed and he began to lower the tail to the runway surface, the upwind wing was lifted by a gust of wind. When the CFI made control inputs to counter the lifting of the wing the opposite wing impacted the surface of the runway and the airplane veered toward the upwind runway edge. Before he could regain directional control, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, entered an area of soft terrain, and nosed over onto its back. According to the CFI, there was no evidence of a flight control malfunction prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
During the first part of the training flight in the conventional wheel (tail wheel-equipped) airplane, the pilot receiving instruction made four stop-and-go landings on a runway that was almost directly aligned with the oncoming wind. At that point the instructor pilot took over in order to demonstrate a landing on a different runway where there was a crosswind of about 10 to 12 knots at 90 degrees to the runway. The instructor pilot made a successful touchdown on the main landing gear wheels, but as the airplane slowed and he began to lower the tail to the runway surface, the upwind wing was lifted by a gust of wind. Although the instructor pilot made control inputs to counter the lifting of the wing, the opposite wing impacted the surface of the runway, and the airplane veered toward the upwind runway edge. Before the instructor pilot could regain directional control, the airplane departed the right side of the runway, entered an area of soft terrain, and nosed over onto its back. According to the instructor pilot, there was no evidence of a flight control or rudder control malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9067M
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052167
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- State Of Montana
- Registered owner
- State Of Montana
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KHLN · Helena, MT
- Destination
- KHLN · Helena, MT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KHLN · Helena Regional Airport, runway 16, 2,989 × 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 20, 2010
- Flight hours
- 9,650 total · 115 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 855 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.