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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

NTSB Reports is an independent research and search tool for public aviation accident and incident records. It brings NTSB aviation reports, structured fields, docket files, extracted figures, photos, videos, and update history into one searchable interface.

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NTSB Report

July 19, 2001 · Cessna 180K · N64426

Quincy, WA

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
July 19, 2001
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Quincy, WA
Aircraft
Cessna 180K
Tail Number
N64426
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
SEA01LA136

The flight instructor, who was sitting in the right seat, was demonstrating his short-field landing technique to the owner of the aircraft. Just as the aircraft touched down, it encountered a dust devil/whirlwind. The rotational force imparted to the aircraft by the whirlwind made it hard to control at its low forward speed. The instructor pilot elected not to execute a go-around, and even with both rudder and differential brake application, he was not able to keep the aircraft from departing the side of the runway. After it departed the runway, the aircraft encountered soft, sandy terrain, and nosed over onto its back.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include an encounter with a dust devil/whirlwind.

Full Narrative

On July 19, 2001, approximately 1000 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180K, N64426, nosed over during the landing roll at Quincy Municipal Airport, Quincy, Washington. The certified flight instructor and his airline transport pilot rated student were not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by the student, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, which departed Wenatchee, Washington, about 90 minutes prior to the accident, had been operating in the Quincy traffic pattern for about 10 minutes. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the instructor, who was sitting in the right seat, he was demonstrating a short-field landing while the aircraft owner, who was in the left seat, observed. The aircraft reportedly touched down on the desired spot in a three-point attitude, tracking straight down the runway. Then, just after touchdown (1-2 seconds), the aircraft veered to the right "rather quickly," and the instructor aggressively applied left rudder. When he found that left full rudder did not stop the aircraft from veering further to the right, the pilot also applied left brake. According to the pilot, at that point in time, "Due to the speed of the event, adding power and getting out of the situation did not look like a prudent course of action." The aircraft continued to veer to the right, departed the runway, and encountered soft, sandy terrain. The pilot reported that when it rolled onto the soft terrain, even though he had the yoke full aft, the aircraft's main gear sank into the terrain and it nosed over onto its back. Further discussions with the instructor pilot revealed that soon after the accident, he spotted a number of dust devils in the area. It was his opinion that the aircraft had encountered a whirlwind just as it touched down, and that because of the slow forward speed of the aircraft, the rotational forces created by the wind made the aircraft hard to control. According to the FAA Operations Inspector who responded to the accident, there was no evidence of any malfunction in the aircraft's tailwheel steering system or main gear braking systems.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time10:00 PDT
Nearest AirportQuincy Municipal (0nm)
Runway27
Runway Length3660 ft
Runway Width50 ft
Flight Plan FiledNone
Flight Plan ActivatedNo
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftCessna 180K
Tail NumberN64426
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsContinental · O-470 · Reciprocating · 230
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 42 · Second Class · None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
WindCalm
Visibility20 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point0 C
Altimeter0
Weather SourcePILO

Appendix: Source Data