Cessna 180A accident near Waterville, Washington, February 20, 2025
On February 20, 2025 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 1956 Cessna 180A, registered N7792A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Waterville, Washington (Waterville airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 directional control during landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 2025 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waterville, Washington · Waterville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A, built 1956 · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- N7792A · registry record · serial 32689
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot receiving instruction reported that, during an instructional flight in a tailwheel equipped airplane, they were practicing crosswind takeoffs and landings. He performed a wheel landing and touched down left of the runway centerline, and during the landing roll, the left main landing gear contacted residual snow/slush on the runway near the base of a 3-ft tall snow berm. The airplane subsequently veered left and struck the snow berm on the runway edge before it came to rest nose low. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 25, with the wind from 160° at 6 knots.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Snow/ice › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 204.7 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 14.7 in the last 90 days; 4.1 in the last 30 days; 82.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,570 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 11.2 in the last 90 days; 3.2 in the last 30 days; 4,725 as pilot in command; 1,150 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 24, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,421.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2024; 104.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 3,421 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8S2 Cashmere WA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 2S5 Waterville WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07/2, 2,978 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.24 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 am from KEAT, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KEAT 201255Z AUTO 36004KT 1/4SM FZFG VV002 M01/M01 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP253 T10111011
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 9, 2025. 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, 3 pages · our copy | 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.