Cessna 180 N399F

Summary

On 3 December 2017 at about 20:27 local time, a Cessna 180 registered N399F was involved in an accident near Frederick, Maryland, United States. 4 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 December 2017 at 20:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Frederick, Maryland, United States

Nearest airport

Frederick Muni (FDK)

Coordinates

39.4175, -77.3744

Aircraft

Cessna 180

Registration

N399F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1955

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Massey → Frederick

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA043

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and the failure of the left main landing gear tire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot stated that, after a smooth landing, the left main landing gear tire failed, and the left wingtip struck the runway. A witness reported that the airplane made a "shallow" bounce when it first touched down on the runway. When the airplane touched down again, the left main tire blew. The airplane's left wing then dipped down and dragged on the runway surface for about 20 to 30 ft before the airplane nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the firewall and an engine mount. Examination of the left main tire revealed features consistent with a progressive fracture through the rubber due to the overload failure of the underlying cords. Examination of the tire revealed no evidence of any preexisting damage or material deficiencies. Therefore, based on the witness statement and the left main tire examination, it is likely that the pilot failed to properly flare the airplane, which resulted in a bounced landing and the tire failing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.