- Date
- November 11, 2011, 15:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Snohomish, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N180LVCessna 180H
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Runway excursion
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20111111025579A
- Case key
- 82308
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 decision to land in a high, gusting, variable wind.
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 reported that, while landing on a grass portion of the runway, the wind shifted from a 90-degree right crosswind to a tailwind. During the landing roll, he was unable to stop before the end of the 2,430-foot-long runway. The airplane continued beyond the end of the runway and impacted a fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, left elevator, and left wing. The pilot stated that, at the time of the accident, the wind was variable, gusting to 38 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while landing on a grass portion of runway 15, the wind shifted from a crosswind to a tailwind. During the landing roll, he was unable to stop before the end of the 2,430-foot-long runway. The airplane continued beyond the end of the runway and impacted a fence, which resulted in structure damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, left elevator, and left wing. The pilot stated that at the time of the accident, the wind was variable from 240 degrees at 25 knots gusting to 38 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180LV
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051993
- Airframe hours
- 3,795
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Unger
- Registered owner
- Copper Mountain Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 6, 2011 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- S43 · Snohomish, WA
- Destination
- S43 · Snohomish, WA
- Airport
- S43 · Harvey Field, runway 15R, 2,430 × 100 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
- 59
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,302 total · 250 in this make and model · 76 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 25 knots, gusting 38
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 755 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.