Cessna 180 accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 20, 1998
On June 20, 1998, a Cessna 180, registered N3196D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 control of the aircraft during landing roll. A factor was crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1998
- Place
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3196D · no longer on the register · serial 31994
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing on a dirt road to fuel the aircraft at a service station, the pilot lost control of the aircraft during landing roll and the aircraft performed a ground loop causing damage to the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer, main landing gear, propeller, and cowl. The pilot said he landed often on the road to fuel his aircraft, but on this occasion he said he failed to correct for the crosswind which was 15 to 20 knots.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 12,500 hours in all; 171 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 12,400 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,785 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1998; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J1CR (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Valencia NM
- Destination: ABQ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 13 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from ABQ, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N3196D 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.