Cessna 180 accident near Agness, Oregon, June 10, 2023
On June 10, 2023 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1953 Cessna 180, registered N1778C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Agness, Oregon. 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 failure to maintain sufficient airspeed and decision to touch down on the surface of the water, resulting in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 2023 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Agness, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1953 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N1778C · no longer on the register · serial 30478
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he decided to land on a gravel bar. Slightly before the gravel bar, he touched the main landing gear on the water prior to the gravel bar. He realized the airplane’s ground speed was too low and the airplane’s tail “started to come up”. He added full engine power and “up elevator,” but the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, in 1-2 feet of water. The rudder was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Miscellaneous/other during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Nose over/nose down during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,350 hours in all; 60 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,250 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 26, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,747 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470J (piston); 3,747 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S05 Bandon OR at 9:30 pm
- Destination: n/a Agness OR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 65°F (18°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from N/A
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 20, 2023. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 1 page | 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.