Cessna 180 accident near St. Johns, Arizona, July 31, 2003
On July 31, 2003 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2935A, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Johns, Arizona (St. Johns Industrial Airpark airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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 inadequate compensation for a crosswind condition that resulted in a loss of directional control and ground loop. The crosswind was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2003 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- St. Johns, Arizona · St. Johns Industrial Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2935A · no longer on the register · serial 30135
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a wheel landing on runway 14 and the airplane ground looped, damaging the left landing gear and left wing tip. The landing was normal until the tail wheel touched down. The airplane veered to the right and came to a stop 180 degrees from the runway heading about 3 feet off the runway edge. Throughout much of the morning, the wind's direction was variable and less than 4 knots. A routine aviation weather report (METAR) at SJN indicated that about 6 minutes prior to the accident, winds were from a magnetic heading of 290 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 165 in this make and model; 5,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 31, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,024 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 2003; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RTN Raton NM at 5:00 pm
- Destination: SJN St. Johns AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,322 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from SJN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.