- Date
- August 15, 2023, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Moab, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9977NCessna 180J
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20230815015029A
- Case key
- 192919
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 loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in a 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 landing roll, the airplane veered right, exited the runway, and ground looped. Subsequently, the left wing sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9977N
- Reported as
- Cessna 180J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052632
- Built
- 1976
- Engine
- P-Ponk O-470-50, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mesha Holding LLC
- Registered owner
- Mesha Holding LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 27, 2023 · 18.5 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- CNY · Canyonlands Regional Airport, runway 21, 7,360 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 2, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,436 total · 93 in this make and model · 1,341 as pilot in command · 119 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- KCNY, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KCNY 151653Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM CLR 30/12 A3030 RMK AO2 SLP192 T03000122
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports.
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 N9977N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.