Cessna 180 N3606C

Summary

On 12 November 2011 at about 01:00 local time, a Cessna 180 registered N3606C was involved in an accident near Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States. One person was 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

12 November 2011 at 01:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Eau Claire, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Chippewa Valley Regional (EAU)

Coordinates

44.8658, -91.4844

Aircraft

Cessna 180

Registration

N3606C

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eau Claire → Minneapolis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN12LA060

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s disorientation during a night flight, which resulted in an off-airport landing, and his inadequate directional control during the landing roll. Contributing to the accident was the loss of the airplane’s electrical system power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a personal sightseeing flight, the pilot landed the airplane at a controlled airport without contacting the control tower. According to the manager of a fixed base operation at the controlled airport, the pilot asked what airport he had landed at and seemed unsure of the direction toward his intended destination. Although the manager reminded him to do so, the pilot did not contact the control tower during his departure. While en route, it became dark, and the airplane experienced a loss of electrical power, rendering the cockpit "virtually black." Although the sky was clear and the visibility was 10 miles, the pilot was unable to locate a diversion airport after an hour of searching. He elected to land on a road, and the airplane collided with a pole. The pilot reported that he lost directional control during the landing roll. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane’s battery had a low power state. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions other than the loss of electrical power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.