Cessna 180 accident near Sedona, Arizona, August 19, 1994
On August 19, 1994 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9944N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sedona, Arizona (Sedona 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 pilot's inadvertant application of wheel brakes during a critical phase of landing rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 1994 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Sedona, Arizona · Sedona · 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
- N9944N · registry record · serial 18052599
- 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 HE HAD COMPLETED A NORMAL WHEEL-TYPE LANDING ON RUNWAY 03, AND HAD SLOWED TO A POINT WHERE THE TAIL WHEEL HAD CONTACTED THE RUNWAY. BECAUSE THERE WAS TRAFFIC BEHIND THE PILOT, AND HE HAD NOT YET REACHED AN EXIT TAXIWAY, HE APPLIED POWER TO ACCELERATE THE TAXI. THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO TURN TOWARDS THE RIGHT AND HE APPLIED LEFT RUDDER, INADVERTENTLY ENGAGING THE BRAKE. AT THAT POINT, THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS CALM AND THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. THE AIRPORT MANAGER REPORTED THAT THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE SOUTH AT 3 TO 5 KNOTS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
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: 250 hours in all; 91 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 224 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 654 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 1994; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AEG Albuquerque NM at 1:20 pm
- Destination: SEZ AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,131 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.