Cessna 180 accident near Hartland, Maine, May 4, 2015
On May 4, 2015 at about 10:45 pm local time, a 1965 Cessna 180, registered N2724X, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hartland, Maine. 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
Abnormal runway contact which precipitated a loss of control and nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 2015 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Hartland, Maine · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 UNDESIGNAT, built 1965 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2724X · registry record · serial 18051524
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during a landing to a lake, the float equipped airplane hit the water, porpoised, and flipped over. The pilot reported that the airplane "flipped over like a ground loop" and subsequently sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 296.7 hours in all; 161.8 in this make and model; 6.8 in the last 90 days; 6.8 in the last 30 days; 213 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,404 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 15, 2014; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 4,404 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hartland ME at 8:00 pm
- Destination: Hartland ME
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from KWVL, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 30, 2015. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2 - Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | 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 N2724X 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.