Cessna 180K accident near Monument Valley, Utah, September 21, 2023
On September 21, 2023 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna 180K, registered N63130, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Monument Valley, Utah (Monument Valley 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
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control after encountering a wind gust on the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2023 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Monument Valley, Utah · Monument Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K, built 1977 · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N63130 · registry record · serial 18052831
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he made an uneventful flight to the destination airport and configured the tailwheel-equipped airplane for landing. During the approach he noted that there was no unusual gust or crosswind, and he touched down on the main wheels just after the runway’s identification numbers. On the landing roll, the pilot reduced the power to idle, and the tailwheel settled on the runway. The airplane encountered a sudden wind gust, raising the right wing. Despite the pilot’s attempts to maintain directional control, the airplane ground-looped to the right and departed the runway surface. The airplane continued into a ditch and the left gear collapsed, resulting in the left wing contacting the ground. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine.
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 defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,543 hours in all; 688 in this make and model; 297 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 4,468 as pilot in command; 340 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 19, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,247 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 6, 2023; 123 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,190 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-U (piston); 3,336 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGA Page AZ at 8:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,800 ft by 45 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KPGA, 60 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPGA 212053Z AUTO 21009G19KT 170V250 10SM CLR 29/M04 A2985 RMK AO2 PK WND 21027/2022 SLP043 T02891039 58028
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 December 7, 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, 8 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.
Other NTSB records under N63130 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.