Cessna 180 accident near Minden, Nevada, May 27, 2023
On May 27, 2023 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N180MK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Minden, Nevada (Minden-Tahoe 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 during the landing roll with a quartering headwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2023 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Minden, Nevada · Minden-Tahoe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N180MK · registry record · serial 31409
- 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 of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, he was flying in the airport traffic pattern and was on his third landing when the accident occurred. His third landing was a full-stop landing, and as the airplane was slowing to taxi speed, the wind direction changed. The airplane began to weathervane into the wind, tipped up onto one wheel, and the left wing and elevator impacted the ground and were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that he was new to flying tailwheel airplanes and did not react promptly with directional control inputs to prevent the airplane from weathervaning after landing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 130.4 hours in all; 14.8 in this make and model; 34.1 in the last 90 days; 10.9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 27, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,990.2 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-KCL (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KMEV
Weather report (METAR): METAR KMEV 271855Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM CLR 20/04 A3000 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 21, 2024. 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's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement - Mor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | 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 N180MK 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.