Event CEN16LA131

Factual narrative

On March 26, 2016, about 0900 central daylight time, a Cessna 180A airplane, N9659B, impacted terrain during an attempted departure from the Del Rio International Airport (KDRT), Del Rio, Texas. The private rated pilot and passenger were not injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged during the accident. The airplane was registered to and operated a private individual, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he started the takeoff roll on runway 31; the airplane's tail came up. The airplane then veered right and he was unable to correct the turn. The airplane departed the right side of the runway, and the airplane came to rest on its left side. An inspection by the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the wing and fuselage. In addition, the inspector did not find any evidence of a brake/wheel problem with the airplane. At 0903, the automated weather observation facility located at KDRT recorded; wind from 130 degrees at 11 knots gusting to 17 knots, 10 miles visibility, an overcast sky at 900 ft, temperature 57 degrees Fahrenheit (F), dew point 55 F, and a barometric pressure of 29.88 inches of mercury. Previously, the KDRT weather facility recorded at 0853, wind from 120 degrees at 9 knots, 10 miles visibility and overcast sky at 1000 ft. At 0823, the wind was from 110 at 5 knots, 10 miles visibility and a broken sky at 1,200 ft. The private pilot and passenger were departing runway 31 in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. During the takeoff, just as the tail became airborne, the airplane veered right. The pilot was unable to correct the turn, and the airplane departed the runway. An examination of the wheels and brakes did not reveal any abnormalities. About the time of departure, the reported winds were from 130 degrees at 11 knots, gusting to 17 knots. Based on the pilot's choice of runway direction and the wind conditions at the time of takeoff, it is likely that he lost control while departing with a gusting tailwind. 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).

• C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
• C Personnel issues-Action/decision-(general)-(general)-Pilot - C
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Tailwind-Effect on operation