Cessna 180 accident near Mount Vernon, Washington, March 9, 2018
On March 9, 2018 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1955 Cessna 180, registered N9463C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Mount Vernon, Washington (Skagit Rgnl 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 failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2018 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mount Vernon, Washington · Skagit Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 UNDESIGNAT, built 1955 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9463C · registry record · serial 31861
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, the airplane bounced, he added power, and the airplane settled on the runway. During the landing roll he lost directional control, the airplane exited the right side of the runway, and the left wing struck the ground. The pilot taxied the airplane to parking. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing ribs and spar. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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 defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 3,100 as pilot in command; 837 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 4, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,226.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 10, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470J (piston); 5,238 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WA77 Enumclaw WA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: S31 Lopez WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 5,478 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft; a few clouds at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KBVS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N9463C 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.