Cessna 180 accident near Sanford, Maine, July 5, 1992
On July 5, 1992 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N1607C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sanford, Maine (Sanford Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 1992 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sanford, Maine · Sanford Municipal Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N1607C · registry record · serial 30307
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE LANDING, HE ENCOUNTERED A LEFT CROSSWIND GUST, AND HE LOST DIRECTION CONTROL. THE PILOT SAID AS HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO REGAIN CONTROL WHEN THE WIND RAISED THE LEFT WING, SWERVING THE AIRPLANE TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED TO THE LEFT, DAMAGING THE RIGHT WING SPAR AND THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT REPORTED THERE WERE NO AIRPLANE MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 908 hours in all; 182 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 787 as pilot in command; 184 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,500 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 1992; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFM at 8:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,300 ft; scat at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from SFM, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.