Cessna 180 N1044Y

Summary

On 11 March 2008 at about 21:15 local time, a Cessna 180 registered N1044Y, operated by South Carolina Forest Commission, was involved in an accident near Spartanburg, South Carolina, 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 2008 at 21:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Spartanburg Downtown Memorial (SPA)

Coordinates

34.9158, -81.9564

Aircraft

Cessna 180

Registration

N1044Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

South Carolina Forest Commission

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Spartanburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08TA130

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's encounter with wake turbulence during approach as a result of his inadequate in-flight planning.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After joining the downwind traffic pattern leg for landing on a 5,202-foot-long runway, the pilot of a Cessna 180 observed a Lear 45 taxi on to the runway for departure. As he turned the airplane on to the left base leg, he noticed that the Learjet was still on the runway. After joining the final approach leg, the Learjet started the takeoff roll and lifted off. As the pilot flared for touchdown, the accident airplane was "pushed hard" to the right, the right main landing gear touched down, then the airplane bounced and "threw to the left hard." The left wing then made ground contact, was substantially damaged, and the airplane ground-looped. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), pilots should adjust their operations and flight path as necessary to preclude serious wake encounters. When landing behind a departing larger aircraft on the same runway, they should note where the larger aircraft's rotation point was and land well before the rotation point. The AIM also states that the flight disciplines necessary to ensure vortex avoidance during visual flight rules operations must be exercised by the pilot. Vortex visualization and avoidance procedures should be exercised by the pilot using the same degree of concern as in collision avoidance and that wake turbulence may be encountered by aircraft in flight as well as when operating on the airport movement area.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.