No fatalities

Cessna 180C Ground Contact Incident During Landing Roll

Great Falls, MT, United States

On December 21, 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's failure to maintain directional control 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 2026-09-03Data APIEditorial standards

A Cessna 180C sustained substantial damage when the left wing and horizontal stabilizer struck the runway during landing after the pilot overcorrected control inputs before the tail wheel touched down.

Incident Overview During the landing roll of a Cessna 180C, the pilot reported that she overcorrected with control inputs before the tail wheel made contact with the runway surface. As a result, the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer struck the runway, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The pilot regained control of the airplane and taxied off the runway. ## Reported Actions and Damage The pilot's account indicates that the overcorrection occurred prior to tail wheel touchdown. The contact between the left wing and left horizontal stabilizer and the runway surface led to substantial damage to the airplane. After the incident, the pilot regained control and proceeded to taxi the aircraft off the runway.

Contributing factors

Directional control — Not attained/maintainedPilot

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 21 Dec 2008 CESSNA 180C accident near Great Falls, MT?

A Cessna 180C sustained substantial damage when the left wing and horizontal stabilizer struck the runway during landing after the pilot overcorrected control inputs before the tail wheel touched down.

Were there any fatalities in the 21 Dec 2008 CESSNA 180C accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 21 Dec 2008 involved a CESSNA 180C, at Great Falls, MT.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.