Cessna 180A N180LG

Summary

On 4 June 2006 at about 21:00 local time, a Cessna 180A registered N180LG was involved in an accident near Marina, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

4 June 2006 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Marina, California, United States

Nearest airport

Marina (OAR)

Coordinates

36.6819, -121.7622

Aircraft

Cessna 180A

Registration

N180LG

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marina → Hollister

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX06LA192

Nobody was injured.

the installation of the unapproved forward seat stop by unknown maintenance personnel, which did not allow for full depth engagement of the seat lock pin, resulting in the seat slipping aft during the takeoff roll and subsequent loss of directional control. A contributing factor to the accident was the pilot's failure to secure the backup seat stop.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot's seat slid aft during the takeoff roll and the airplane nosed over after veering off the runway surface. As the pilot powered the airplane for the takeoff roll, his seat slid aft and he was unable to reach the controls to maintain control of the airplane. It veered left off the runway and came to rest inverted. Post accident examination of the seat track showed that the seat locking pin positively engaged in all of the seat track holes. The most forward hole contained a bolt used as a forward seat stop to prevent the seat from coming off of the seat track. When the seat pin was engaged in this hole, full depth engagement was not possible. Rub marks were present on the bolt shank that was visible through the seat track hole. The pilot normally flew the airplane with the seat in its forward most position. The airplane manufacturer did not design the seat stop and there was no installation record of the bolt used as a seat stop in the airplane maintenance records. The airplane was equipped with an after-market backup seat stop to prevent the seat from slipping aft if the primary seat locking mechanism failed. Although there were no mechanical problems noted with the device, the backup stop was not secured to the seat track.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.