Cessna 180 accident near Kingman, Arizona, May 14, 2004
On May 14, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N6430X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kingman, Arizona. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot under instruction's excessive and improper use of the rudder control during the landing roll and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop and nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kingman, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N6430X · registry record · serial 18050930
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a practice landing to a dry lakebed, the pilot under instruction overcompensated during a realignment maneuver, resulting in a loss of control of the tail wheel airplane and a ground loop. The pilot was receiving flight instruction for a tail wheel endorsement. According to the certified flight instructor's (CFI's) written statement, he and the pilot had practiced numerous takeoffs and landings at the departure airport before they headed to a dry lakebed for additional takeoff and landings. During the final landing, as the tail was lowering from the wheel landing position, the "student applied right rudder" to clear a stick that was on the ground. Though, according to the CFI, the aircraft's original rollout path would have cleared the stick, the CFI felt comfortable with the maneuver since it provided extra clearance. The pilot then corrected with the left rudder, but "overcompensated." The CFI announced that he had the controls, but the pilot did not remove his hands from the control yoke or his feet from the rudder pedals. As the airplane slowed, it underwent two left-to-right oscillations. On the second right oscillation, the right wing lifted and the airplane went up onto its left main tire. The CFI said that he applied left aileron and left rudder; however, the airplane continued to the right and he was unable to regain control of the airplane before it ground looped and nosed over. The CFI applied left brake, the left wing impacted the ground, and the airplane nosed over onto its back.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 5,800 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 27, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 260 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,839 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 22, 2004; 22 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IGM Kingman AZ at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from IGM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.