Cessna 180 accident near Farmington, New Mexico, October 10, 2010
On October 10, 2010 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9277C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Farmington, New Mexico (Four Corners Regional Apt airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot and the flight instructor to maintain directional control of the airplane during a training maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2010 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Farmington, New Mexico · Four Corners Regional Apt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9277C · registry record · serial 31376
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) discussed with the pilot that he wanted to demonstrate adverse yaw during the landing. The CFI maintained control of the ailerons and the pilot maintained control of the rudder. The CFI applied left aileron during the landing roll out, resulting in the airplane drifting to the right. The pilot input left rudder and the airplane continued drifting right, turning about 90 degrees from the runway heading. During the turn to the right, the left wing tip dragged on the ground, substantially damaging the left 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
- Simulated/training event during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
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 › Flight crew
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,846 hours in all; 1,348 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 1,648 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 2, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 22,000 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 3,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 14, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMN Farmington NM
- Destination: FMN Farmington NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.