Cessna 180J accident near Schlater, Mississippi, July 15, 2011
On July 15, 2011 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N9996N, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Schlater, Mississippi (Sunnyside Airstrip 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 loss of directional control during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2011 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Schlater, Mississippi · Sunnyside Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N9996N · registry record · serial 18052651
- 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 he was attempting to take off from an airstrip that was primarily used for agricultural airplanes. During takeoff, the airplane veered to the left as the tailwheel lifted off. The pilot corrected by applying right rudder and retarding the throttle, but the airplane departed the runway to the left, impacted a row of corn and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded a normal operation. He said that the accident could have been prevented if he had departed from a larger airport instead of an agricultural airstrip.
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 takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 288 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 204 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 17, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,981 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2010; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Schlater MS at 8:10 pm
- Destination: NONE Schlater MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,000 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 8:11 pm from GWO, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9996N the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ERA11CA407.