Cessna 180 N4738B

Summary

On 30 March 2022 at about 17:15 local time, a Cessna 180 registered N4738B was involved in an accident near Lampasas, Texas, 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

30 March 2022 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Lampasas, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Lampasas (LZZ)

Coordinates

31.1037, -98.1963

Aircraft

Cessna 180

Registration

N4738B

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

Unknown → Dallas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA160

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to perform a takeoff from a perpendicular taxiway rather than the airport runway, which led to the airplane striking trees at the end of the departure path.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that when he landed, the landing was “rough” and right at the edge of the airplane’s crosswind capabilities. Due to the strong crosswind, the pilot said he thought he would be better off taking off into the wind from the perpendicular taxiway since it was more into the wind. He said that during the takeoff, the wind wasn’t as strong as he thought, and he wasn’t able to clear the trees that were in the departure path. A cell phone video of the accident provided by a witness was consistent with the pilot’s description of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left elevator, right wing, and right aileron. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The accident airport had one runway (16/34) and the recorded winds about the time of the accident were from 300° at 12 kts, gusting to 25 kts.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.