Cessna 180A accident near Scottsdale, Arizona, April 26, 2003
On April 26, 2003 at about 6:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180A, registered N9759B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale 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 failure of a main landing gear axle bolt, and the subsequent separation of the right main landing gear wheel from the gear strut during the landing roll, which resulted in a collapse of the right main landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 26, 2003 · about 6:45 pm local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Scottsdale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- N9759B · registry record · serial 50057
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tailwheel equipped airplane had a gear failure while attempting a wheel landing. After a normal touchdown, the airplane lurched to the left and the right main landing gear wheel departed the airplane. The right main landing gear strut folded under the fuselage and the right wing tip contacted the runway surface. The airplane came to rest on its right side. The pilot thought that an "abrupt left brake grab" placed a side load on the right gear, which resulted in the failure of the right main landing gear wheel. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) maintenance inspector stated that the forward, upper bolt connecting the axle to the backing plate had sheered off. The other three bolts had twisted off, separating the wheel from the airplane, which he believed occurred after the initial bolt had failed. He thought it was possible that the bolts installed were the original bolts that the airplane was outfitted with in 1957. He believed there was a significant possibility that the sheered bolt had failed due to its age and extended use.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 7,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 23, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,126 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 15, 2002; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSDL Scottsdale AZ at 5:45 pm
- Destination: KSDL Scottsdale AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 8,249 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KSDL
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.