Cessna 180 accident near Redmond, Oregon, April 9, 1998
On April 9, 1998 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2933C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Redmond, Oregon (Roberts Field). 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 passenger-pilot's excessive rate of descent during touchdown. Factors include the pilot-in-command's inadequate recovery from a hard/bounced landing, the passenger-pilot's failure to execute a go-around after taking control of the aircraft, and gusty crosswinds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 9, 1998 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Redmond, Oregon · Roberts Field · 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
- N2933C · registry record · serial 30833
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Because the wind conditions had become too challenging to continue practice landings, the pilot, who had accumulated about 35 hours in conventional gear aircraft, decided to make a full-stop landing. During the landing attempt, the aircraft hit hard, bounced back into the air, and began to drift past the lateral boundary of the runway. At that point there was a voluntary transfer of control of the aircraft to the private pilot-rated passenger, who was co-owner of the airplane. The passenger-pilot, who had approximately 180 hours of conventional gear time, elected not to execute a go-around, but instead continued down the runway and attempted a full stop landing. During that landing attempt, the aircraft hit the runway surface hard enough to damage the gear leg attach saddle, and soon after touchdown, the right gear leg folded back underneath the aircraft.
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: 97 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RDM at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 7,040 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- 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.
Other NTSB records under N2933C 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.