Cessna 180 accident near Klamath Falls, Oregon, April 14, 2006
On April 14, 2006 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N40LT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Klamath Falls, Oregon (Klamath Falls International airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the tailwheel-equipped aircraft during the landing roll. Factors include gusty crosswinds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2006 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Klamath Falls, Oregon · Klamath Falls International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N40LT · registry record · serial 30527
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After her initial departure, the pilot flew about 10 minutes south to another airport, where she executed about 10 touch-and-go landings. When the winds started to become variable and gusty at this location, the pilot returned to her initial departure point where she was cleared for a full-stop landing on runway 32. Although the touchdown was uneventful, according to the pilot, during the landing roll a crosswind gust lifted the left wing, and the aircraft began to veer from the runway heading. During her attempt to realign the aircraft with the runway, it turned sharply to the left, and the right wing and right elevator came in contact with the runway surface. The pilot said there did not appear to be any problems with the aircraft's flight controls or tailwheel steering system. After she taxied to parking, the pilot talked to an individual who had landed just before her, and that individual stated that he had also encountered gusty crosswinds. The two pilots estimated the gusts were as high as 15 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 208 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 156 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,141 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KLMT Klamath Falls OR
- Destination: KLMT Klamath Falls OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 10,301 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N40LT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.