Cessna 180J accident near Hailey, Idaho, July 30, 2006
On July 30, 2006 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N42401, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hailey, Idaho (Friedman Memorial 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 failure to adequately compensate for wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 2006 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hailey, Idaho · Friedman Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N42401 · registry record · serial 52350180
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
In a written report, the pilot stated that during the landing rollout "a gust [of wind] came up and I lost directional control. I made the proper corrections but the aircraft was at the end of the landing phase and ground looped to the left." The pilot reported that winds at the time of the accident were from 250 degrees at 15-20 knots and gusting.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,070 hours in all; 1,363 in this make and model; 3,070 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2U7 Stanley ID
- Destination: KSUN Hailey IA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.