- Date
- May 5, 2020, 18:30 local (May 6, 2020, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Hanksville, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N89SJCessna 180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- SLC FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200506004959A
- Case key
- 101245
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 during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and ground-loop.
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, during the takeoff roll in the tailwheel equipped airplane, he felt a gust of wind hit the airplane. When the tail came up, he was unable to maintain directional control and the airplane veered to the right, departed the runway onto rocks, and ground looped. The right wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N89SJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051923
- Built
- 1968
- Airframe hours
- 6,650.6
- Engine
- Continental O-470- SERIES, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2019
- Departed
- CNY · Moab, UT
- Destination
- UT03 · Hanksville, UT
- Airport
- UT03 · Hite, runway W, 2,200 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,577 total · 1,290 in this make and model · 2,577 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- CNY, 68 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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.
Other investigations on N89SJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.