- Date
- September 16, 2011, 14:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Reno, NV
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N180HRCessna 180H
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 13, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110916024079A
- Case key
- 81820
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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
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
According to the pilot, during landing, he encountered a strong gust of wind. The airplane veered and subsequently ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during landing on runway 16R, in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he encountered a strong gust of wind. The airplane veered and subsequently ground looped. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180HR
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051633
- Airframe hours
- 6,095
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 550, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Roberts Leon Thomas
- Registered owner
- Roberts Leon Thomas
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 24, 2010 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- KBDN · Bend, OR
- Destination
- KRNO · Reno, NV
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KRNO · Reno, runway 16R, 11,200 × 150 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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 212 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Observed at
- KRNO
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 28, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 145 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.