Cessna 180H accident near Palmer, Alaska, April 9, 2011
On April 9, 2011 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180H, registered N2709X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Palmer, Alaska (Palmer airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing roll resulting in a ground-loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 2011 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · Palmer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N2709X · registry record · serial 18051509
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing stop-and-go landings and takeoffs in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the last landing he said the tail bounced to the right, and he did not respond aggressively enough to prevent the airplane from ground-looping. The airplane dragged the right wing on the runway sustaining substantial damage to the wing.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- 552230 during descent - emergency
- 552093 during descent - emergency
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 5,300 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 28, 2011
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,462 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, July 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: PAED Anchorage AK at 3:30 pm
- Destination: PAAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°C, dew point 0°C
- Altimeter: 29.370001 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC11CA024.