LAX02LA193

Factual narrative

On June 9, 2002, about 1415 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180, N2228C, ground looped and overturned during landing at Columbia Airport (O22), Columbia, California. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The private pilot and passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Palo Alto Airport (PAO), Palo Alto, California, at 1330, en route to Columbia Airport. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot stated that he witnessed two other aircraft landing on runway 35, so he also landed on runway 35. The AWOS at Columbia Airport reported the winds to be 290 degrees at 8 knots gusting to 15. He made a three-point landing and was coming to a stop when a sudden burst of wind lifted the left wing and the tail off of the ground, swinging the tail to the right. The tail continued to lift until the propeller struck the ground and the airplane flipped over. He said that the plane was tracking straight on the centerline at 25 miles per hour when the wind disturbance was encountered. The airport has two runways, and are on a magnetic heading of 170-350 and 110-290. Runway 11-29 is 2,600 feet long and 100 feet wide, and is turf. The plane encountered a wind disturbance resulting in a ground loop and the airplane coming to rest inverted. While on the landing roll the gust caught the left wing and tail, lifting it off the ground. The tail continued to lift until the prop struck the ground, and flipped the airplane over. The pilot stated the AWOS reported the winds to be 290 at 8 knots gusting to 15 knots. The airport has two runways, and are on a magnetic heading of 170-350 and 110-290. Runway 11-29 is 2,600 feet long and 100 feet wide, and is turf. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12