No fatalities

21 Dec 2008: CESSNA 180C — Great Falls, MT

Great Falls, MT, United States

On 21 Dec 2008, a CESSNA 180C was involved in an aviation accident near Great Falls, MT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot failed to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing roll. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot experienced a loss of directional control during the landing roll of a Cessna 180C, resulting in structural damage to the aircraft.

What happened

On December 21, 2008, a Cessna 180C, registration C-FIWA, was performing a landing at Great Falls, MT. During the landing roll, and before the tail wheel had touched the runway surface, the pilot applied overcorrecting control inputs. This caused the left wing and the left horizontal stabilizer to strike the runway. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft. Following the strike, the pilot regained control and taxied the airplane off the runway. There were no injuries reported.

The investigation

The investigation focused on the pilot's actions during the landing roll. It was determined that the pilot overcorrected with control inputs prior to the tail wheel making contact with the runway surface.

Probable cause

The pilot failed to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing roll.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot