Cessna 180 accident near Grangeville, Idaho, May 26, 1996
On May 26, 1996 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N626RP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Grangeville, Idaho (Southfork Airstrip 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 properly judge the distance and speed of the airplane during the final approach, his failure to obtain a proper touchdown point for landing, and his failure to perform a go-around, while there was sufficient runway remaining. A factor relating to the accident was: the short/wet/grassy runway condition, which led to ineffective braking.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1996 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Grangeville, Idaho · Southfork Airstrip · 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
- N626RP · registry record · serial 18031659
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he attempted to land on a grass airstrip that was about 1,000 feet long. He stated that the airplane touched down about mid-field, and he was unable to stop the airplane before it collided with a tree at the end of the airstrip. The left landing gear support structure was torn from the airplane, and the fuselage was damaged. The pilot stated that his approach was 'too high and hot' and he did not realize that the grass on the airstrip was wet, causing a decrease in the airplane's braking effectiveness. No preimpact mechanical malfunction was reported.
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: 308 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 258 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,423 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 1996; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S80 ID at 2:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Observation at 2:43 pm from S80
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.
Other NTSB records under N626RP 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.