Cessna 180K accident near Canton, Mississippi, March 23, 2018
On March 23, 2018 at about 11:00 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 180K, registered N77NP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Canton, Mississippi. 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 decision to land the airplane with a tailwind, which led to a runway excursion. Contributing to the pilot's decision to land with a tailwind was a partial loss of engine power due to his failure to effectively use carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2018 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Canton, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K K, built 1977 · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N77NP · no longer on the register · serial 18052937
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot stated that he was returning to the airstrip after a 20-minute flight over a river at 2,000 ft mean sea level when the engine began accumulating carburetor ice and began to run roughly. He applied carburetor heat, but the engine continued to run roughly. Since the pilot was near the intended landing point, he attempted to land with about 5 to 7 knots of tailwind. The airplane continued past the departure end of the airstrip and impacted trees before coming to rest in the upright position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer, rudder, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at glide and cruise power. It is likely that the engine initially lost partial power after accumulating carburetor ice. The pilot’s application of carburetor heat was ineffective at restoring engine power before the pilot decided to land the airplane with a tailwind.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute
- Runway excursion during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Decision related to condition
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Incorrect use/operation
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 12, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,283.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 5, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor R-O-470-U81B (piston); 5,300 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Canton MS at 10:30 pm
- Destination: Canton MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from HKS, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on January 28, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Observations | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Carburetor Icing Probability Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N77NP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.