Cessna 180 accident near Limington, Maine, April 14, 2019
On April 14, 2019 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 1955 Cessna 180, registered N4796B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Limington, Maine (Limington-Harmon 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 during touchdown, which resulted in runway excursion onto snow.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2019 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Limington, Maine · Limington-Harmon · 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
- N4796B · registry record · serial 31694
- 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, after touchdown, during the landing roll, airplane ground looped and veered right. He corrected with left aileron and rudder, but the airplane continued right, exited the runway, and rolled over a snowbank. Subsequently, the airplane became momentarily airborne and then touched down again. The left main landing gear (MLG) sank into the snow, and the propeller, left MLG, and left wingtip impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing rib. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
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
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy terrain › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 315 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 255 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 25, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,667.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 6, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 1,532 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IZG Fryeburg ME at 7:50 pm
- Destination: 63B Limington ME
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 11, 2,973 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from KPWM, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 8, 2020. 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 | Accident Photo | 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 N4796B 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.