NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ANC20LA077
Registry · N9712G
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA 180H
Year of manufacture
1971 · 49 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19710805
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AD8A01
Registrant of record
REYNOLDS FREDERICK A
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s improper decision to place a passenger and baggage in the rear baggage compartment, which resulted in an aft center of gravity, an increase in directional instability, and affected the pilot’s ability to maintain directional control, resulting in a ground loop during the landing roll.
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot reported that during the landing roll, the airplane immediately veered right as the tailwheel contacted the runway. The pilot applied full left rudder to no avail, and the airplane ground looped to the right. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing and horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged. The pilot stated that the right brake may have dragged and that the tailwheel may have tilted over during the touchdown. Postaccident examination of the runway marks, brakes, and tailwheel revealed no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The wind was reported as 30° right of runway heading at 4 knots. According to first responders, three passengers were sitting in the airplane’s front two rows, and one passenger and multiple bags were in the rear baggage compartment, which was not equipped with a seat. This likely resulted in the airplane having an aft center of gravity and increased the airplane’s tendency to weathervane into the wind and the airplane’s directional instability. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Equipment/furnishings-Flight compartment equipment-Not installed/available
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-CG/weight distribution-Capability exceeded
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Attain/maintain not possible
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2020_ANC20LA077.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type. Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- arXiv 2026 · arXiv preprint
A Miniaturized Broadband 1-Bit Coding Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for NLOS UE Localization and Uplink Communication
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- arXiv 2024 · arXiv preprint
Distilling Tiny and Ultra-fast Deep Neural Networks for Autonomous Navigation on Nano-UAVs
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- arXiv 2024 · arXiv preprint
A flexured-gimbal 3-axis force-torque sensor reveals minimal cross-axis coupling in an insect-sized flapping-wing robot
The mechanical complexity of flapping wings, their unsteady aerodynamic flow, and challenge of making measurements at the scale of a sub-gram flapping-wing flying insect robot (FIR) make its behavior …
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Conference paper
Integrated Propulsion and Control of Rotorcraft
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE OVERVIEW The Eagle Flight Research Center (EFRC) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is investigating the handling qualities of failure modes of multi-rotors employing di…
- NASA NTRS 2023 · Presentation
Subsonic Single Aft Engine (SUSAN) Flight Deck Experiment: Throttle and Engine Display Concepts
NASA is developing a new hybrid-electric aircraft concept called the SUbsonic Single Aft eNgine (SUSAN) Electrofan. The SUSAN airplane is being designed as a 180-passenger commercial regional jet and …
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2023 · Conference paper
The Value of Strong Partnerships to Build a Successful Aviation Maintenance Career Pathway Program for Transitioning Military Service Members
The aerospace industry is competing with other industries for a qualified workforce, and many of those competing industries are investing heavily in creating workforce development pipelines.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗