Cessna 180 accident near Givens Hot Springs, Idaho, August 25, 2020
On August 25, 2020 at about 1:15 pm local time, a 1960 Cessna 180, registered N334SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Givens Hot Springs, Idaho (Sunrise Skypark airport). 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
Pilot's failure to maintain directional control on takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2020 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Givens Hot Springs, Idaho · Sunrise Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 C, built 1960 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N334SC · registry record · serial 50691
- 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, during the takeoff roll in the tailwheel equipped airplane, as the tailwheel lifted off the ground, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot was unable to maintain directional control and the airplane ground looped. The right wing and horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,656 hours in all; 1,475 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 4,557 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,899 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 14, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 SERIES (piston); 3,899 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ID40 Givens Hot Springs ID at 1:15 pm
- Destination: 3U2 Yellow Pine ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 2,892 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from KMAN, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 2020. 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 |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.