Cessna 180 accident near Justin, Texas, October 26, 2008
On October 26, 2008 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N1846Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Justin, Texas (Clark 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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2008 · about 7:25 pm local time · cases in 2008
- Place
- Justin, Texas · Clark Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 K · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N1846Z · registry record · serial 180-52968
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said, "Upon landing, the nose of the airplane pitched down, making the airplane uncontrollable and [it] tipped on its back." He also wrote that he didn't know why the airplane pitched down. He told an Federal Aviation Administration inspector that he just "lost it." A postaccident inspection revealed no preimpact anomalies.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 22,000 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 20,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 26, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,263 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2007; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: XA48 Munster TX at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 3T6 Justin TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 1,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 216° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from DTO, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N1846Z the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1846Z on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 180 Skywagon 2,605 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-470 12,780 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Clark Airport · nearest airport
- Dreamland Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,065 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,945 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N1846Z 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN09LA036.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.