Cessna 180A accident near Condon, Oregon, October 10, 2009
On October 10, 2009 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180A, registered N9586B, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Condon, Oregon (Chukar Flats 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the fence post on approach.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2009 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Condon, Oregon · Chukar Flats · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- N9586B · registry record · serial 32883
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane at a remote, 1,100-foot-long dirt airstrip. The pilot stated that during the approach, on short final, the airplane struck the top of a fence post located at the approach end of the airstrip. The airplane subsequently landed hard and nosed-down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer and elevator. No preaccident mechanical failures were reported by the pilot.
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
What happened, in order
- Collision during takeoff/land during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Fence/fence post › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 239 hours in all; 38 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,074 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ashland OR at 3:30 pm
- Destination: NA Condon OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 1,100 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; a few clouds
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR10CA026.