Cessna 180 accident near Stillwater, Oklahoma, August 16, 2011
On August 16, 2011 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N3316D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Stillwater, Oklahoma (Stillwater Regional 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 on-ground loss of control during the landing roll upon encountering a sudden wind shift and gust.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2011 · about 11:45 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Stillwater, Oklahoma · Stillwater Regional · 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 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3316D · no longer on the register · serial 32114
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, the airplane touched down on the main wheels, and, while the tail was still in the air, the airplane started to weathervane and swerved hard to the right. The left wing struck the runway, and the airplane nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed no anomalies. According to the airport's weather reporting station, at the time of the landing, the wind shifted from 180 degrees at 3 knots to 330 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 25 knots.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 171 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 109 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 16, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSWO Stillwater OK at 10:30 pm
- Destination: KSWO Stillwater OK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 6,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 8, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120, Pilot-operator Aircraft Accident Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N3316D: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 180 Skywagon 2,604 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-K 13 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Stillwater Regional · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Oklahoma 1,300 since 1982 · 181 in the last ten years
- Oklahoma 5,659 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN11LA579.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.