Cessna 180C accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico, April 11, 2007
On April 11, 2007 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180C, registered N9253T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Santa Fe, New Mexico (Santa Fe Municipal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Exceeding the airplane's maximum demonstrated crosswind component during the takeoff roll. A contributing factor was the crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 2007 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Santa Fe, New Mexico · Santa Fe Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180C · all 180Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9253T · registry record · serial 50753
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was taking off on runway 02. The airplane weathervaned to the left and the right wing tip contacted the runway. The airplane nosed over and the propeller struck the runway. The right wing rear spar and aileron were bent, and the engine cowling was buckled. SAF wind was reportedly from 320 degrees at 11 knots. An examination of the airplane's systems conducted by the FAA revealed no anomalies. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) for the 1960 Cessna 180C does not give a maximum demonstrated crosswind component. However, the 1977 Cessna 180K POH lists the maximum demonstrated crosswind component as 12 knots. The computed crosswind component at the time of the accident was 13 knots (headwind component 8 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,220 hours in all; 642 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 1,083 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,604 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2006; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R25U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAF Santa Fe NM at 2:00 pm
- Destination: SKX Taos NM
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 8,342 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point -2°F (-19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from SAF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 DEN07CA084.