Cessna 180H accident near Reno, Nevada, September 16, 2011
On September 16, 2011 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Cessna 180H, registered N180HR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Reno, Nevada (Reno airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2011 · about 9:50 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · Reno · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N180HR · registry record · serial 18051633
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, during landing, he encountered a strong gust of wind. The airplane veered and subsequently ground looped, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 450 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 450 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,095 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2010; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBDN Bend OR at 8:00 pm
- Destination: KRNO Reno NV
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 16R, 11,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KRNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on October 28, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N180HR on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 180 Skywagon 2,604 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,676 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 550 3,077 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Reno/Tahoe International · nearest airport
- Bend Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Nevada 1,294 since 1982 · 223 in the last ten years
- Nevada 4,583 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR11CA455.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.