NTSB DEN90LA105 — 1990-05-06 · HELENA, Montana, United States

Current FAA registration · N8679X

Make / Model: CESSNA 180E
Year of manufacture: 1961 · 29 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19650608
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S ABEC81

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N8679X Cessna C-180E None

Probable cause & findings

THE MALFUNCTION OF THE TAIL WHEEL ASSEMBLY.

Factual narrative

THE COMMERCIAL PILOT WAS MAKING HIS FOURTH LANDING OF THE MORNING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AS PLANNED AND THEN HE LET THE TAIL WHEEL TOUCH DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. HE IMMEDIATELY FELT A VIBRATION AND HE LIFTED THE TAIL WHEEL BACK OFF OF THE RUNWAY. AFTER THE TAIL WHEEL CAME OFF THE RUNWAY HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IT GROUND-LOOPED. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL WHEEL BEARING AND PIVOT WAS WORN. IN ADDITION, THE RIGHT RUDDER BRAKE PEDAL RETURN SPRING WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE ATTACHMENT BRACKET. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_DEN90LA105.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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