Cessna 180 accident near Pickens, South Carolina, June 29, 2019
On June 29, 2019 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 1953 Cessna 180, registered N75077, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Pickens, South Carolina (Pickens County airport). 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
Maintenance personnel’s improper installation of the right main landing gear brake assembly, which resulted in the loss of control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2019 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Pickens, South Carolina · Pickens County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 Undesignat, built 1953 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N75077 · no longer on the register · serial 30290
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane when, after touchdown, the airplane veered left. He added power to go around, but the airplane veered left again, started to climb, then stalled and impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane after the accident reported that the right main landing gear brake torque plate was improperly installed.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 15.1 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 1,300 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 9, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,585 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470J (piston); 720 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LQK Pickens SC at 3:35 pm
- Destination: LQK Pickens SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from LQK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on May 24, 2022. 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 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | 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 N75077 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.