Cessna 180 accident near Tucson, Arizona, August 2, 1990
On August 2, 1990 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9463C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Tucson Intl. airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE DISTANCE FROM A MD-80'S JET EXHAUST.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 1990 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Tucson Intl. · 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
- N9463C · registry record · serial 31861
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF A CARGO CARRYING AIRPLANE LANDED AND, IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS ATC CLEARANCE, BEGAN TAXIING TOWARD THE PARKING AREA. THE CHOSEN TAXIWAY CROSSED BEHIND A TRANSPORT CATEGORY JET (MD 80) WHICH WAS HOLDING FOR TAKEOFF. THE ACCIDENT PILOT TAXIED INTO THE PATH OF THE JET'S EXHAUST AND WAS PUSHED DOWN ONTO ITS NOSE.
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
What happened, in order
- PROPELLER BLAST OR JET EXHAUST/SUCTION during taxi - from landing
- NOSE DOWN during taxi - from landing
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 894 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 840 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: class 1
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,740 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, May 25, 1990; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: PHX Phoenix AZ at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°C, dew point 39°C
- Altimeter: 30 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9463C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 LAX90LA344.