Cessna 180 accident near Pray, Montana, September 15, 1995
On September 15, 1995 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N11JW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pray, Montana. 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 LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DUE TO THE LOSS OF RIGHT TAILWHEEL STEERING. FACTORS IN THE ACCIDENT WERE: A LEFT QUARTERING CROSSWIND AND THE SLOPED SIDE OF THE ROAD.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 15, 1995 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Pray, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N11JW · registry record · serial 32278
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LINED UP ON THE 6,000-FOOT-LONG, 30-FOOT-WIDE, MACADAM ROAD FOR LANDING AFTER BEING ADVISED BY RADIO OF CALM WINDS. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE TAILWHEEL BEGAN TO SHIMMY AND THE AIRCRAFT COMMENCED A RIGHT DRIFT WHICH WAS CORRECTED WITH LEFT RUDDER/STEERING. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON CENTERLINE THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT RUDDER/STEERING WITHOUT EFFECT. THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SLOPED ROAD DURING WHICH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR IMPACTED A ROCK. THE LEFT GEAR SUBSEQUENTLY COLLAPSED. THE PILOT REPORTED OBSERVING A WINDSOCK INDICATION OF A LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE LANDING. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION REVEALED A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE TAILWHEEL STEERING MECHANISM PREVENTING RIGHT TAILWHEEL STEERING.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,471 hours in all; 558 in this make and model; 54 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 3,281 as pilot in command; 1,405 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,069 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 1995; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S67 Nampa ID at 4:30 pm
- Destination: MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:47 pm from LVM, 23 miles away
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.