Cessna 180 accident near Morgan, Utah, April 24, 2019
On April 24, 2019 at about 3:15 am local time, a 1953 Cessna 180, registered N1628C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Morgan, Utah (Morgan County 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 the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion and an attempted aborted landing and impact with bushes and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2019 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Morgan, Utah · Morgan County · 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 1953 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N1628C · no longer on the register · serial 30328
- 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, at dusk, he made a wheel landing on an asphalt runway near mountains. He recalled that, shortly after a normal touchdown and during the landing roll, the tail lifted, and the nose veered right. He applied rudder to correct, but the pilot overcorrected, and the airplane exited the left side of the runway. He aborted the landing, and the airplane began to climb, but the left wing struck a large bush, and the airplane then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the empennage, and the elevator. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- 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
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,098 hours in all; 46 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,073 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 21, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470J (piston); 384 hours total
- Operator: Utah Cub Pilot Llc
The flight
- Departed from: LWL Wells NV at 2:00 am
- Destination: LWL Wells NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 3,904 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 170° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KOGD, 11 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 July 18, 2019. 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 | 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 N1628C 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.