No fatalities

8 Jun 2019: Cessna 180 J — Moses Lake, WA

Moses Lake, WA, United States

On 8 Jun 2019, a Cessna 180 J was involved in an aviation accident near Moses Lake, WA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper landing flare and his delayed decision to go-around, which resulted in impact with rocks on a shoreline. 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 float-equipped airplane nosed over after its floats struck rocks on a lake shoreline during a go-around from a landing attempt. The pilot reported no mechanical issues. Substantial damage occurred to the wings and fuselage.

Accident Overview

A float-equipped airplane was involved in an accident while attempting a go-around during a landing on a lake. According to the pilot, he became concerned that the available landing distance was insufficient and decided to abort the landing. During the go-around, the airplane's floats struck rocks on the shoreline, causing the aircraft to nosed over.

Pilot Report

The pilot noted that he should not have added power during the flare (written as 'flair' in the source). He further stated that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage of the airplane.

Weather Conditions

The automated weather observation station located 4 miles northeast of the accident site reported that, approximately 12 minutes after the accident, the wind was variable at 5 knots and visibility was 10 statute miles. The airplane was landing to the east.

Contributing factors

Landing flare — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operation