Cessna 180J N180BA

Summary

On 17 April 2012 at about 15:55 local time, a Cessna 180J registered N180BA, operated by Sanford William W, was involved in an accident near Abingdon, Virginia, United States. 2 people were 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

17 April 2012 at 15:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Abingdon, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Virginia Highlands Airport (VJI)

Coordinates

36.6869, -82.0331

Aircraft

Cessna 180J

Registration

N180BA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Sanford William W

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Orange → Abingdon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA12CA288

Nobody was injured.

The passenger’s inadvertent blockage of the rudder pedals, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain directional control during the landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he made a visual approach for landing at his destination airport. He flared the airplane, and it touched down on the runway. The airplane started to veer to the left as he began to apply brakes. He attempted to apply right rudder, but the rudder would not move because his passenger had inadvertently stretched his legs out and blocked the rudder pedals. The airplane continued off the left side of the runway and collided with a ditch. The airplane sustained structural damage to the left wing and the fuselage. The pilot stated that he did not experience any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.