Cessna 180 N4994A

Summary

On 11 March 2000 at about 00:45 local time, a Cessna 180 registered N4994A was involved in an accident near Port Townsend, Washington, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

11 March 2000 at 00:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Townsend, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Jefferson County Intl. (059)

Coordinates

48.0307, -122.8395

Aircraft

Cessna 180

Registration

N4994A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Everett → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00LA049

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for changing wind conditions during the landing roll in a tailwheel-equipped aircraft. Factors include a variable, shifting wind that changed from a quartering headwind to a quartering tailwind just prior to the aircraft touching down on the runway, and soft, wet terrain just off the edge of the runway surface.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, who was flying a tailwheel-equipped aircraft, thought he was landing into a quartering headwind. But according to pilot-rated witnesses, the wind shifted just prior to the aircraft crossing the threshold. After the aircraft touched down, the tailwind lifted its tail into the air, and the pilot began having difficulty maintaining directional control. During his attempts to remain aligned with the runway, the aircraft departed the side runway surface, and encountered soft, wet terrain. Soon after encountering the soft terrain, one of the main gear legs separated from the aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.