Cessna 180 accident near Williston, North Dakota, September 26, 2022
On September 26, 2022 at about 6:39 pm local time, a 1955 Cessna 180, registered N93330, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Williston, North Dakota (Williston Basin Intl 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 2022 · about 6:39 pm local time
- Place
- Williston, North Dakota · Williston Basin Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 UNDESIGNAT, built 1955 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N93330 · registry record · serial 31731
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while the airplane was settling to the runway and he was making rudder corrections, a gust of wind lifted the left wing and the left main landing gear from the runway. The pilot was able to get the left main landing gear back on the runway, while still applying right rudder input. The airplane then ground looped, and the left wing and the left rudder impacted the runway. The airplane came to rest upright on the runway and the pilot was then able to taxi to the ramp. The airplane’s left wing and the left elevator sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the airplane was landing on runway 32 with winds light and variable with gusts to 7 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 72.4 hours in all; 53.1 in this make and model; 2.4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 11.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 16, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,689.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 2, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-520-F (piston); 4,691 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 7,503 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from KS25, 34 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KS25 261835Z AUTO 35009KT 10SM CLR 21/01 A3012 RMK AO2
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 February 7, 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 | Accident Photographs | 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.