Cessna 180 accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, September 28, 1989
On September 28, 1989 at about 7:43 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N519TW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona (Pulliam 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
FAILURE OF THE LEFT BRAKE. THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WITH RUDDER AND TAILWHEEL STEERING WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 1989 · about 7:43 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Flagstaff, Arizona · Pulliam · cases near this airport · 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
- N519TW · registry record · serial 31182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE STARTED TO USE THE BRAKES TO STEER THE AIRCRAFT, AFTER MAKING A WHEEL LANDING, HE DISCOVEREDTHAT HE 'HAD NO LEFT BRAKE.' AT THAT MOMENT, THE TAILWHEEL WAS STILL SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE RUNWAY SURFACE, SO HE HAD NO TAILWHEEL STEERING & HIS RUDDER WAS BECOMING INEFFECTIVE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT GROUND LOOPED TO THE RIGHT & WAS DAMAGED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,000 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L01 Llano CA at 4:30 pm
- Destination: FLG
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 6,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N519TW on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 180 Skywagon 2,604 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-470-A 5 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Flagstaff Pulliam Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Arizona 2,985 since 1982 · 468 in the last ten years
- Arizona 8,431 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/LAX89LA330.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.