Cessna 180C accident near Camarillo, California, March 30, 1997
On March 30, 1997 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180C, registered N9065N, was destroyed in an accident near Camarillo, California (Camarillo Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for crosswind conditions during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1997 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Camarillo, California · Camarillo Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180C · all 180Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9065N · registry record · serial 50717
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he lost control of the airplane during a left crosswind landing. The wind lifted the airplane's left wing until the right wing tip dragged on the ground. The airplane then nosed over, damaging the vertical stabilizer, fuselage, and wings. The pilot estimated the wind velocity at 20 to 25 knots. The air traffic control tower recorded wind velocities at 12 knots. The pilot indicated on his report that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane before 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,650 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 15, 1997; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CMA at 9:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 6,010 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:48 pm from CMA
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.