Cessna 180K accident near Port Orange, Florida, December 31, 2008
On December 31, 2008 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N37MD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Port Orange, Florida (Spruce Creek Airport). It was an instructional 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during landing. Contributing to the accident were the gusting wind conditions and the pilot's lack of experience in the make and model airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2008 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Port Orange, Florida · Spruce Creek Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N37MD · registry record · serial 18053012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who recently acquired the airplane, was receiving instruction for insurance purposes. After performing some airwork, the pilot returned to the traffic pattern for landing practice and joined a left downwind leg for runway 23. On short final, he lowered flaps to 40 degrees and the airplane slowed to 60 knots. At 15 feet above ground level, the airplane "came down hard" on the runway numbers. The left and right main landing gear failed and the airplane received structural damage to the lower fuselage. The pilot reported that the winds at the time of the accident were from 235 degrees at 10 knots, with gusts to 15 knots. He also reported that windshear occurred and they were unable to react quickly enough to prevent the hard landing. The reported wind at a nearby airport about the time of the accident was from 280 degrees at 15 knots. The pilot reported total flight experience of 1,354 hours, of which 3 hours were in the same make and model as the accident airplane and 3 hours were flown during the 90-day period preceding the accident.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience w/ equipment › Pilot
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,354 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,285 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 11, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command; 6,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 12, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,788 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2008; 6 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7FL6 Port Orange FL at 6:30 pm
- Destination: 7FL6 Port Orange FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,400 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 pm from EVB, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.