Cessna 180 accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, December 31, 2010
On December 31, 2010 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N67F, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Flagstaff, Arizona (Flagstaff Pulliam 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 directional control during landing that resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 2010 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Flagstaff, Arizona · Flagstaff Pulliam 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
- N67F · registry record · serial 30343
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing a local area flight in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot returned to his home airport. He obtained weather that included a comment that ice was present on the runway, but the braking action was fair. The tower air traffic controller cleared the flight to land, and while on final approach, the pilot configured the airplane in a right slip to compensate for the right crosswind. He attempted to perform a three-point-landing; the right wheel touched down first followed by the left wheel. At that point, the airplane began to drift to the right of centerline. He said he attempted to correct back to centerline; however, the left wheel lost traction causing the left wing to impact the runway surface. The airplane continued off the runway coming to rest nose down in a snow bank. Airport personnel reported that no ice was present on the runway where the accident had occurred. Both the pilot and pilot-rated passenger commented to airport personnel that the airplane had encountered a crosswind gust, and the pilot intentionally ground looped the airplane. According to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the scene, ground impact marks were observed slightly off the runway centerline, and arced to the right toward the snow bank where the airplane came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing during the accident sequence. The pilot reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,143 hours in all; 995 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 600 in this make and model
- Last flight review: February 15, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,442 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2010; 86 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLG Flagstaff AZ at 9:50 pm
- Destination: FLG Flagstaff AZ
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 21
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 16°F (-9°C), dew point -8°F (-22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 10:57 pm from FLG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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 WPR11CA097.