Cessna 180 accident near San Carlos, California, March 26, 2025
On March 26, 2025 at about 6:50 pm local time, a 1955 Cessna 180, registered N180ZR, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near San Carlos, California (San Carlos 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 with crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2025 · about 6:50 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- San Carlos, California · San Carlos · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1955 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N180ZR · registry record · serial 31662
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during landing roll in a tailwheel equipped airplane, it began to veer to the right. The pilot attempted to correct; however, the airplane continued to veer to the right and left wing and left horizontal stabilizer struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported that the airplane had no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 12 with wind from 170° at 13 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 (landing roll) defining event
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 596 hours in all; 447 in this make and model; 10.2 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 448 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 17, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,242 hours in all; 1,297 in this make and model; 181 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 7,029 as pilot in command; 5,122 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 18, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 27, 2024; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 819 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPAO Palo Alto CA at 5:33 pm
- Destination: KSQL San Carlos CA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12/3, 2,621 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 am from KSQL
Weather report (METAR): KSQL 261850Z 17013KT 10SM SCT022 17/10 A3000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – accident airplane
Photograph 2 - substantially damaged left wing and aileron
Photograph 3 - substantially damaged horizontal stabilizerThe 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 4 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N180ZR on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 180 Skywagon 2,604 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-470R 107 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- San Carlos Airport · nearest airport
- Palo Alto Airport · departed from
- San Carlos Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,097 in the last ten years
- California 27,897 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR25LA119.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.