Cessna 180K accident near Columbus, Ohio, June 14, 2021
On June 14, 2021 at about 12:52 pm local time, a 1980 Cessna 180K, registered N13159, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Columbus, Ohio. 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 loss of engine power due to fuel starvation resulting from sealant contamination in the wing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2021 · about 12:52 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K, built 1980 · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N13159 · no longer on the register · serial 18053166
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in cruise flight at 1,000 ft above ground level when the engine sputtered. As the pilot executed a 180° turn toward the airport, the engine lost all power. The pilot also reported that the radios lost power. The airplane impacted trees in a heavily wooded area short of the open field and sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage during the forced landing. The airplane had undergone numerous modifications, including a change from bladder fuel tanks to integral fuel tanks in the wings. Four days before the accident, a mechanic had drained the left wing of fuel and resealed it with a sealant. The wing was then refueled, and leak checked. Postaccident examination showed sealant contamination in the left fuel tank, varying in size up to 1 inch. The sealant was not adhering to the inside of the wing tank. Although the fuel screens were found unobstructed, due to the size and number of the sealant pieces fuel flow from the left tank could likely have been obstructed, resulting in a loss of engine power.
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 initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: sport pilot; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,772 hours in all; 557 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 3,677 as pilot in command; 2,208 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: unkn
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 21, 2021; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,362 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 SERIES (piston); 629 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 3X5 North Bass Island OH
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KOSU, 2 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KOSU 141253Z 25007KT 10SM FEW100 25/14 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP115 T02500144
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on September 27, 2023. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | On Scene Photos | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Airframe and Engine Examination Observations | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Log Entries | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Materials Laboratory Report 22-057 | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Textron Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Chem Seal 3204 | PDF, 2 pages | 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.