NTSB CHI07CA253 — 2007-08-01 · Duluth, Minnesota, United States

N5016E has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (SPIRIT ENGINEERING INC SE-1), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N5016E Cessna 180A None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in impact with terrain during an attempted aborted landing. A factor in the accident was the geese impacted during the landing roll.

Factual narrative

The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an aborted landing attempt. The pilot stated that as he was lowering the tailwheel to the runway, he impacted two geese. The airplane started to "turn to the right" while the pilot tried to correct using left brake, left rudder, and right aileron control inputs. The pilot then added full engine power "to get back in the air." The left wing subsequently contacted the runway and the airplane "flipped on its back" and came to rest inverted. The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during an aborted landing attempt on runway 14, 3050 feet long, by 75 feet wide, dry asphalt. The pilot stated that as he was lowering the tailwheel to the runway, he impacted two geese. The airplane started to "turn to the right" while the pilot tried to correct using left brake, left rudder, and right aileron control inputs. The pilot then added full engine power "to get back in the air." The left wing subsequently contacted the runway and the airplane "flipped on its back" and came to rest inverted. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2007_CHI07CA253.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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