Cessna 180 accident near Vichey, Missouri, June 6, 2015
On June 6, 2015 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna 180, registered N180SA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Vichey, Missouri (Rolla National 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 during the landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2015 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Vichey, Missouri · Rolla National · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 H, built 1968 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N180SA · registry record · serial 18051903
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, the airplane began to drift left. The pilot locked the left brake and the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The right wing struck the ground, causing the airplane to spin, and come to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer, right elevator, right wing and right aileron. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to or during flight 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) 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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 530 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 487 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 21, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,573 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2015; 21.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO470 (piston); 2,097 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFAM Farmington MO at 7:15 pm
- Destination: KVIH Rolla MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from KVIH
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N180SA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 GAA15CA112.