Cessna 180A accident near Grand Prairie, Texas, July 5, 2023
On July 5, 2023 at about 5:10 pm local time, a 1958 Cessna 180A, registered N889SL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Grand Prairie, Texas (Grand Prairie Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the unexpected sudden wind shift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2023 · about 5:10 pm local time
- Place
- Grand Prairie, Texas · Grand Prairie Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A, built 1958 · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- N889SL · registry record · serial 50226
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot executed a wheel landing but before the tail wheel settled onto the runway, the airplane drifted to the right after encountering an unexpected wind shift. His efforts to maintain control were not successful. The airplane subsequently exited the runway and traversed across the grass towards a retention pond. In an attempt to stop the airplane before the pond, the pilot applied heavy braking, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, left wing and lift strut sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that transitioning the tail wheel down onto the runway sooner instead of expediting his exit from the runway, he may have been able to maintain directional control during the wind shift.
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 (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 438.1 hours in all; 81.7 in this make and model; 25.1 in the last 90 days; 11.5 in the last 30 days; 416.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 27, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,383.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2023; 22.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 3,383 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KGPM Grand Prairie TX at 4:46 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18/3, 4,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from KGPM, 5756 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGPM 051650Z 26010KT 10SM SKC 33/22 A3005
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN23LA275.