Cessna 180 accident near Bountiful, Utah, October 31, 2009
On October 31, 2009 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N1712C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bountiful, Utah (Skypark 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 failure of the inner tube of the right main tire during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 2009 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bountiful, Utah · Skypark Airport · 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
- N1712C · registry record · serial 30412
- 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 performing a wheel landing with his tailwheel-equipped airplane. Shortly after touchdown the inner tube of the right main tire failed, and the airplane began drifting to the right. When the steel rim of the right main wheel made contact with the asphalt, full left rudder and brake were not sufficient to keep the airplane from departing the right side of the runway. As the ground loop progressed, the left wing and left elevator contacted the ground. Both the left wing and the left elevator sustained structural damage.
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
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tube › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 859 hours in all; 207 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,925 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 21, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KIH Pocatello ID
- Destination: BTF Bountiful UT
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 16, 4,700 ft by 70 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from SLC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 WPR10CA041.