Piaggio P180 incident near Columbus, Ohio, December 13, 2010
On December 13, 2010 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piaggio P180, registered N140SL, was involved in an incident during approach near Columbus, Ohio (Port Columbus Iap airport). It was flown under fractional-ownership rules (Part 91 subpart K). No one was hurt; 4 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 failure of water to properly drain through the fuselage drain holes, thus becoming trapped and freezing around the flight control cables, which resulted in the loss of control authority to the airplane's ailerons, elevator, and rudder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2010 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Ohio · Port Columbus Iap · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piaggio P180 · all P180s on the register
- Registration
- N140SL · registry record · serial 1107
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · fractional-ownership rules (Part 91 subpart K)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the airplane's descent, the yaw damper disengaged while the autopilot remained on. When the flightcrew checked the flight controls for freedom of control, the ailerons, elevator, and rudder were found to be frozen in place. The flightcrew exerted enough pressure until the controls broke free with a “snap.” The flight controls remained stiff for the remainder of the flight. The temperature was -9 degrees C at the destination. Following a normal approach and landing, the flight controls and nosewheel steering became inoperative. The flightcrew used differential power and braking to taxi to the ramp. A postflight examination by maintenance personnel revealed ice in the area of frame 36 and around the primary flight control cables and pulleys in that area. An examination of the fuselage drain holes showed no obstructions and the airplane was returned to service. An emergency airworthiness directive was subsequently issued that advised of three incidents and that required inspection of the fuselage belly and testing of the fuselage drain holes.
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
- Flight control sys malf/fail during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › Fuselage main structure › Malfunction
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Low temperature › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 2,700 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 6,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 7, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 3, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,006 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 5, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 12,100 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: P&W Canada PT6A-66 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: P&W Canada PT6A-66 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Avantair, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: HPN White Plains NY at 12:00 pm
- Destination: CMH Columbus OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28L, 10,125 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.72 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from CMH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 CEN11IA108.