Cessna 180H accident near Snohomish, Washington, November 11, 2011
On November 11, 2011 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180H, registered N180LV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Snohomish, Washington (Harvey Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to land in a high, gusting, variable wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2011 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Snohomish, Washington · Harvey Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N180LV · no longer on the register · serial 18051993
- 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, while landing on a grass portion of the runway, the wind shifted from a 90-degree right crosswind to a tailwind. During the landing roll, he was unable to stop before the end of the 2,430-foot-long runway. The airplane continued beyond the end of the runway and impacted a fence, which resulted in substantial damage to the left horizontal stabilizer, left elevator, and left wing. The pilot stated that, at the time of the accident, the wind was variable, gusting to 38 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Runway excursion 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 Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,302 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: September 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,795 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 6, 2011; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,190 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S43 Snohomish WA
- Destination: S43 Snohomish WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15R, 2,430 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 25 knots, gusting 38
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.