Cessna 180 accident near St Louis, Missouri, August 22, 2020
On August 22, 2020 at about 4:51 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 180, registered N7620A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near St Louis, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power due to improper maintenance of the mixture control cable and attachment hardware, which led to a forced landing into a congested area.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2020 · about 4:51 pm local time
- Place
- St Louis, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 UNDESIGNAT, built 1956 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N7620A · no longer on the register · serial 32517
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the pilot reported hearing a loud “pop,” and the engine suddenly lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing toward a lacrosse field surrounded by residences. The airplane impacted terrain in a nose-down attitude, which substantially damaged both wings and seriously injured the pilot. A postaccident examination revealed that the carburetor mixture control cable was disconnected from the carburetor control lever at the carburetor, with the attachment hardware (bolt, nut, and washer stack) still attached to the carburetor. No other anomalies were found that would have precluded normal operation. Laboratory analysis of the mixture control cable and attachment hardware (bolt, nut, and washer stack) determined that the hardware was used repeatedly in numerous configurations, and the cable did not have a kink at the end indicating it had not been bent. The maintenance manual specified that the cable was to be bent 90 degrees after being threaded through the bolt hole to help secure the cable, and not doing so likely contributed to the cable becoming disconnected from the carburetor control lever inflight.
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 engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 18, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,446 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2020; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 4,456 hours total
- Operator: Casement Llc
The flight
- Departed from: 1H0 St Louis MO at 4:45 pm
- Destination: H88 Fredericktown MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from KSUS, 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
11 documents, released by the NTSB on May 12, 2022. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Police Report Excerpt - Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Powerplant Maintenance Manual - Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records - Excerpt | PDF, 19 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Photos of Airplane at Accident Site | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Overhead View of Accident Site | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Carburetor Exam | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | NTSB Materials Lab - Factual Report | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
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.