No fatalities

13 Mar 2016: CESSNA 180 J — CHAMBERLIN PAUL D — South Burlington, VT

South Burlington, VT, United States

On 13 Mar 2016, a CESSNA 180 J operated by CHAMBERLIN PAUL D was involved in an aviation accident near South Burlington, VT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff roll, which resulted in a nose over. 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

During takeoff roll, a tailwheel airplane encountered a left-side wind gust. The pilot dipped the left wing to counter but lost control, causing the airplane to flip over nose-first and impact the runway, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer.

Incident Overview

A pilot operating a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported a loss of control during the takeoff roll. According to the pilot, the airplane encountered a gust of wind from the left side while accelerating down the runway. In an attempt to counter the wind gust, the pilot "dipped" the left wing. However, this maneuver resulted in a loss of control, and the airplane flipped over nose-first before impacting the runway surface.

Damage Assessment

The accident sequence inflicted substantial damage to the airplane's vertical stabilizer. The extent of damage to other components was not specified in the pilot's report.

Pilot Report

The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with either the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The cause of the loss of control is attributed solely to the encounter with the wind gust and the pilot's subsequent control inputs.

Conclusion

No further details regarding the flight, such as the aircraft type, registration, operator, or location, were provided in the source. The incident occurred during daylight hours, but the specific time was not mentioned. The pilot did not report any injuries to themselves or others.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Effect on operation