Cessna 180 accident near Cardington, Ohio, August 6, 2016
On August 6, 2016 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2601Y, was destroyed in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Cardington, Ohio (My Place Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The partial loss of engine power due to carburetor icing during an attempted go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2016 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Cardington, Ohio · My Place Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 E · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2601Y · no longer on the register · serial 18051101
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial-rated pilot was conducting a local, personal flight and planned to land on a small private grass runway. He reported that he initially planned to land to the east, but he noticed some people on the ground and then chose to maneuver to land to the west. During the landing, the airplane floated and then drifted right, so he decided to go around. He reported that he advanced the throttle full forward and that the airplane felt "anemic" but that the engine gauges appeared normal. At the end of the runway, he rotated for takeoff, and the airplane started to slowly climb; however, the airplane impacted a building just past the end of the runway. A postcrash fire consumed a majority of the airplane. A visual examination of the engine did not reveal any obvious discrepancies; however, fire/thermal damage to the engine prevented a detailed examination. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the accumulation of serious carburetor icing at glide power settings. The pilot would have reduced engine power while maneuvering to land, and it is likely that the carburetor accumulated ice at glide power settings, which prevented the production of full engine power during the attempted go-around.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Fuel related during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Loss of engine power (partial) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: sport pilot; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 5, 2016
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O 470R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 3OH7 Cardington OH
- Destination: 3OH7 Cardington OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6-24, 1,950 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KMNN, 10 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 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.
Other NTSB records under N2601Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.