Cessna 180 accident near Madison, South Dakota, July 15, 2007
On July 15, 2007, a Cessna 180, registered N3306D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Madison, South Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The tailwheel vibrations during the landing roll that resulted in the tailwheel spring disconnect. Directional control was not possible and the grassy terrain were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2007
- Place
- Madison, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3306D · registry record · serial 32104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane came to rest on its left side during a landing roll. The pilot reported that after touchdown the tail wheel began to shimmy and the airplane began to shake. He reported that he "rode the rudder from side to side" in order to try and stop the shimmy. He reported that the airplane veered to the right near the end of the landing roll. The pilot reported he used the left rudder and brake to stop the turn, but the airplane kept veering. The airplane traveled into the grass where the left main landing gear then collapsed and the airplane came to rest on its left side. The pilot reported the tail springs came unhooked as a result of the tail wheel shimmy.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,970 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 1,920 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7IA2 Larchwood IA
- Destination: MDS Madison SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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.