Cessna 180B N5181E

Summary

On 9 April 1995 at about 23:00 local time, a Cessna 180B registered N5181E was involved in an accident near Sanger, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 April 1995 at 23:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Sanger, Texas, United States

Coordinates

33.3607, -97.1699

Aircraft

Cessna 180B

Registration

N5181E

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Roanoke

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95FA158

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S PERFORMANCE OF A LOW ALTITUDE MANEUVER AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. A FACTOR WAS THE GUSTY WIND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ONE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE CLIMB TO 200 TO 300 FEET AGL, ENTER A STEEP RIGHT TURN, COME OUT OF THE TURN 'UPSIDE DOWN', AND THEN 'NOSE STRAIGHT DOWN AND PLOW INTO THE GROUND.' ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THE AIRPLANE 'CAME OUT OF A ROLL-OVER AND PLUNGED STRAIGHT TO THE GROUND.' THE AIRPLANE'S FINAL TURN WAS FROM A SOUTHERLY, OR UPWIND, HEADING TO A NORTHERLY, OR DOWNWIND, HEADING. WITNESSES REPORTED 'STRONG AND GUSTING' WINDS OF '35 TO 45 MPH' OUT OF THE SOUTH. IMPACT WAS NEAR VERTICAL AND ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE FOUND WITHIN 40 FEET OF THE INITIAL GROUND SCAR. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY STRUCTURAL OR MECHANICAL ANOMALIES.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.