Cessna 180 accident near Canton, Mississippi, April 21, 2002
On April 21, 2002 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N180CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Canton, Mississippi (Follin Field (Pvt)). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control after landing which resulted in the airplane departing the runway, and the subsequent impact with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 2002 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Canton, Mississippi · Follin Field (Pvt) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N180CW · no longer on the register · serial 31438
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot the airplane touched down on the first 20 percent of a 3,000-foot runway, rolled about 1,000 feet, at 20 knots of ground speed, and began to drift to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the situation by applying full left rudder and braking, however he could not correct the right turn. The airplane turned about 120 degrees before the right main landing gear dropped into a ditch, and the left wing made contact with a gravel road. The pilot estimated that at the time of the accident "the cross wind component was "8 knots."
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 495 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 14, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,954 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 5, 2002; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,536 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3MO Lakeview AR at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Canton MS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 3:54 pm from JAN
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.