Cessna 180J accident near West Dover, Vermont, March 3, 1995
On March 3, 1995 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N180BF, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Dover, Vermont. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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
A LOSS OF POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS. THE FROZEN SNOW COVERED TERRAIN WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 1995 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- West Dover, Vermont
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N180BF · registry record · serial 18052402
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS CRUISING ABOUT 1,000 FT AGL, AT A LOW POWER SETTING, FOR APPROX 45 MIN. THE SKY WAS CLEAR, BUT THERE WAS FOG IN THE VALLEYS. WHEN POWER WAS ADDED FOR CLIMB, THE ENGINE BECAME ROUGH. ADDITION OF CARBURETOR HEAT AND SWITCHING FUEL TANKS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. WHEN LEANED, THE ROUGHNESS SMOOTHED OUT, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT SET UP FOR A FORCED LANDING ON A FROZEN RESERVOIR. AT TOUCHDOWN, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR DUG INTO THE SNOW AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE WAS RUN SATISFACTORILY.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,850 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,504 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 27, 1995; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CT59 Roxbury CT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: 4V8 West Dover VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 7°F (-14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from EEN, 30 miles away
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC95LA067.