Cessna 180 accident near Tacoma, Washington, March 30, 1989
On March 30, 1989 at about 5:25 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2936C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma Narrows 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 IMPROPER FLARE AND IMPROPER RECOVERY FROM THE BOUNCED LANDING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE PILOT'S LOW TOTAL FLIGHT TIME AND HIS INEXPERIENCE IN THE CESSNA 180 AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1989 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Tacoma, Washington · Tacoma Narrows
- 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
- N2936C · registry record · serial 30836
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS MAKING MULTIPLE TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS. DURING HIS FOURTH TOUCH DOWN, A HARD BOUNCED LANDING OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY IN A RIGHT WING & NOSE LOW ATTITUDE, COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR.
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: 72 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 28 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,275 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 28, 1989; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:27 pm from TIW
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 N2936C 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.