History of Flight
On September 13, 2012, about 1833 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180, N90RW, impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Nampa Municipal Airport (MAN), Nampa, Idaho. The certified flight instructor (CFI) was seriously injured, and the private pilot receiving instruction sustained minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The airplane was registered to the private pilot and operated as an instructional flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight.
The pilot reported that after a thorough preflight inspection, the CFI and he started the airplane and taxied to runway 29. They conducted a run-up and verified control yoke movements with the respective control surfaces. Both pilots individually checked the controls and noted nothing abnormal. The CFI then instructed the pilot to conduct a soft field takeoff using 20 degrees of flap. The pilot lowered the flaps, positioned the airplane on the runway, and started the takeoff roll. After liftoff, he lowered the nose to gain speed and then noticed a slight right bank. He glanced at the airspeed indicator and believed it read either 70 or 90 mph but could not get an accurate read due to sun glare. He attempted to correct the bank by turning the yoke left, but the airplane continued banking right. The CFI took over and attempted to correct, but the airplane banked further and impacted the ground between the taxiway and departure runway, coming to rest inverted. The pilot did not hear the stall warning horn during the accident sequence.
The CFI reported that during the shallow initial climb, about 30-50 feet above ground, the pilot commented on the airplane not responding to control inputs. When he took over, he immediately added full left rudder and aileron. The airplane initially responded left but then entered an about 60-degree right bank. The airplane lost altitude and descended into terrain. The CFI vaguely recalls telling the pilot to raise the flaps but does not remember if they were retracted.
Witnesses observed the airplane conduct a run-up and pretakeoff check lasting about 10 minutes. They saw it enter the runway and proceed about 900 feet down the runway relatively slowly, with flaps partially extended. About 1,000 feet down the runway, they heard smooth application of takeoff power, and the airplane became airborne. It climbed normally before seeming to sink and slow. The right wing lowered slightly (about 10 degrees) for a few seconds, then dropped about 50 more degrees, and the airplane assumed a nose-down attitude, descending until impact.
Personnel Information
The pilot, age 52, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land privileges, issued January 25, 2007. His most recent FAA third-class medical was issued August 2, 2012, with a restriction for glasses available for near vision. He had 433 total flight hours; this was his first flight in the accident airplane make and model.
The CFI, age 54, held an airline transport pilot certificate with flight instructor ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical was issued October 2, 2011, with no limitations. He had 14,500 total flight hours, 250 of which were in the accident airplane make and model.
Aircraft Information
The accident airplane, a tailwheel-equipped Cessna 180, serial number 30195, was manufactured in 1953 and equipped with a Continental Motors O-470R engine. The pilot purchased the airplane in November 2011; it had been disassembled and undergone major repairs due to a previous owner's accident. Immediately before the accident flight, repairs and modifications included: fuselage boot cowl and landing gear box areas repaired, new shoulder harnesses and lap belt assemblies installed, a new instrument panel installed, and a portion of the aileron control system replaced with a later style, including changing the control yoke from a T-yoke to a U-yoke and installing new left and right aileron direct control cables. The airplane underwent an annual inspection on August 6, 2012, at which time total time was 3,800 hours. Maintenance records indicate ground runs and taxi tests were conducted, but the airplane was never test flown.
Meteorological Information
At 1835, the weather reporting station at MAN reported wind from 350 degrees at 3 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear skies, temperature 27°C, dewpoint -3°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.23 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Runway 11/29 at Nampa Municipal Airport was 5,000 feet long by 75 feet wide, asphalt surface, reported dry. Airport field elevation was 2,537 feet.
Wreckage and Impact
Postaccident examination by FAA and Cessna representatives revealed no airframe anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The aft fuselage was separated about 5 feet forward of the horizontal stabilizer, attached only by control cables. The right wing was separated and found under the left side of the inverted aircraft; the left wing remained attached. Flight control cable continuity was established from cockpit controls to all flight control surfaces. Aileron and flap control cables were fracture-separated consistent with overload. Aileron cable routing and rigging showed no anomalies. Flaps and flap handle were in the up position. Fuel tank caps were secured; tanks contained an undetermined amount of fuel. Pitot tube and static port were unobstructed. Stall warning switch tab moved freely; the switch, horn, and light were operational. The stall warning horn and light assembly were mounted to the glove box; the light was not visible to occupants with the glove box door closed. Cockpit throttle, mixture, and propeller controls were full forward. Fuel selector was in the 'both' position. The right-seat control yoke (CFI's) was found deflected fully aft and bent approximately 90 degrees horizontally to the right, resting against the instrument panel. The firewall fuel strainer was clear of debris.
Additional Information
A Cessna representative reported that for the 1953 Cessna 180, with flaps at 20 degrees, stall speeds are: 55 mph at 0° bank, 59 mph at 30° bank, and 78 mph at 60° bank. With flaps retracted: 60 mph at 0° bank, 64 mph at 30° bank, and 85 mph at 60° bank.