Cessna 180A accident near Marina, California, June 4, 2006
On June 4, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180A, registered N180LG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marina, California (Marina airport). It was a personal 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 installation of the unapproved forward seat stop by unknown maintenance personnel, which did not allow for full depth engagement of the seat lock pin, resulting in the seat slipping aft during the takeoff roll and subsequent loss of directional control. A contributing factor to the accident was the pilot's failure to secure the backup seat stop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 4, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marina, California · Marina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- N180LG · registry record · serial 32693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot's seat slid aft during the takeoff roll and the airplane nosed over after veering off the runway surface. As the pilot powered the airplane for the takeoff roll, his seat slid aft and he was unable to reach the controls to maintain control of the airplane. It veered left off the runway and came to rest inverted. Post accident examination of the seat track showed that the seat locking pin positively engaged in all of the seat track holes. The most forward hole contained a bolt used as a forward seat stop to prevent the seat from coming off of the seat track. When the seat pin was engaged in this hole, full depth engagement was not possible. Rub marks were present on the bolt shank that was visible through the seat track hole. The pilot normally flew the airplane with the seat in its forward most position. The airplane manufacturer did not design the seat stop and there was no installation record of the bolt used as a seat stop in the airplane maintenance records. The airplane was equipped with an after-market backup seat stop to prevent the seat from slipping aft if the primary seat locking mechanism failed. Although there were no mechanical problems noted with the device, the backup stop was not secured to the seat track.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,206 hours in all; 1,512 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,112 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OAR Marina CA at 8:58 pm
- Destination: 1C9 Hollister CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:08 pm from MRY, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number LAX06LA192.