Cessna 180H accident near Wickenburg, Arizona, June 11, 1994
On June 11, 1994 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180H, registered N4764U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wickenburg, Arizona (Wickenburg airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to remove the control lock prior to flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 11, 1994 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wickenburg, Arizona · Wickenburg
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N4764U · registry record · serial 18051464
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF WITH THE CONTROL LOCK STILL ENGAGED IN THE CONTROL COLUMN. PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY THE LOCAL SHERIFF SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT DEPICTED THE CONTROL LOCK STILL INSTALLED.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,613 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 4, 1994; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 5,050 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from LUF
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.
Other NTSB records under N4764U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.