Cessna 180J accident near Fort Worth, Texas, December 28, 1997
On December 28, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N121KS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Worth, Texas (Fort Worth Meacham Intl 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 improper planning/decision, by allowing the airplane to get in a situation, where he could not compensate for wind conditions. A related factor was the gusty crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Worth, Texas · Fort Worth Meacham Intl · 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
- N121KS · registry record · serial 18052683
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the tailwheel-equipped airplane was being taxied toward the centerline of runway 34R, it turned to the left, nosed down, and came to rest balanced on the left main landing gear, the left wing tip, and the propeller spinner. According to the pilot, the left turn was due to a wind gust that 'hit the airplane and spun it counterclockwise.' Following the nose down, the pilot got out of the airplane and attempted to hold the airplane; however, the wind blew the airplane over onto its back. The pilot indicated that the winds at the time of the accident were from 280 to 310 degrees at approximately 20 to 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots. At 1353, seven minutes prior to the accident, the recorded winds at the airport were from a true heading of 300 degrees at 24 knots with gusts to 31 knots. The crosswind component for a takeoff on runway 34R (true heading 352 degrees) with a wind from 300 degrees at 30 knots was calculated to be 23 knots. According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, the maximum demonstrated crosswind velocity for the airplane was 12 knots. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by 'selection of runway that more aligns with current winds.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 700 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 1997; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FTW at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 48TX Whitewright TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34R, 7,501 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 24 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FTW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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 FTW98LA077.