Cessna 180J accident near Chama, New Mexico, October 16, 1997
On October 16, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N7527K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chama, New Mexico (East Lobo Ranch airport). It was a personal 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during its landing roll. Encounter with an embankment (dirt bank) was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 16, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Chama, New Mexico · East Lobo Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N7527K · registry record · serial 18052662
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he made a normal approach and wheel landing to the north, because the wind sock indicated a left quartering headwind at 10 knots. As soon as the tail wheel touched the runway, it began to shimmy. The airplane veered to the left and the pilot corrected using right brake. The airplane then veered to the right, struck a small embankment, and spun around to the right, coming to rest on a southerly heading. A statement submitted by the pilot-rated passenger corroborated the pilot's report, although he said the wind shifted suddenly as the tail wheel touched the ground. Examination of the tail wheel by FAA inspectors revealed no apparent previous damage. Damage to the airplane was confined to the main landing gear, right wing and left elevator.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,028 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,818 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,278 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 1997; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Q58 Santa Rosa NM at 6:30 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.