20 Aug 2019: Cessna 180 F

20 Aug 2019: Cessna 180 F — Unknown operator

No fatalities • Arlington, WA, United States

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to properly secure the seat before takeoff, which resulted in it sliding back during takeoff and rendering him unable to reach the rudder pedals and throttle lever, a subsequent runway excursion, ground loop, and impact with a berm.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, prior to takeoff, he adjusted his seat. During takeoff, his seat slid back and he was not able to reach the rudder pedals or throttle lever. The airplane accelerated, veered left, exited the runway to the left, ground looped, and impacted a berm.

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing.

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

cause Incorrect use/operation
cause Directional control — Not attained/maintained
cause Pilot
cause Effect on operation

Conditions

Weather: VMC, vis 10sm

Loading the flight search…

What you can do on Flight Finder

Search flights between any two airports with live fares.

By aircraft — pick a plane model (e.g. Boeing 787, Airbus A350) and see every route it flies from your origin.

Route map — click any airport worldwide to explore its destinations, or draw a radius to find nearby airports.

Global aviation safety — aviation accident database, 5,200+ records since 1980, with map and rankings by aircraft and operator.

NTSB safety feed — recent U.S. aviation accidents and incidents from the official NTSB CAROL database, updated daily.

Frequently asked questions

How do I search flights by aircraft type on FlightFinder?

Pick an aircraft model — Boeing 737, Airbus A320, A380, Boeing 787 Dreamliner and more — enter your origin airport, and FlightFinder shows every route that plane flies from there with live fares.

Which aircraft types can I filter by?

We support Boeing 737/747/757/767/777/787, the full Airbus A220/A319/A320/A321/A330/A340/A350/A380 family, Embraer E170/E175/E190/E195, Bombardier CRJ and Dash 8, and the ATR 42/72 turboprops.

Is FlightFinder free to use?

Search and schedules are free. Pro ($4.99/month, $39/year, or $99 one-time lifetime) unlocks the enriched flight card — on-time stats, CO₂ per passenger, amenities, live gate & weather — plus My Trips with push alerts.

Where does the route data come from?

Live schedules come from Amadeus, AeroDataBox and Travelpayouts. Observed routes (which aircraft actually flew a given city pair) are crowdsourced from adsb.lol ADS-B data under the Open Database License.