LAX03CA249

Factual narrative

On July 31, 2003, about 1100 mountain standard time, a Cessna 180, N2935A, ground looped during landing at St. Johns Industrial Air Park (SJN), St. Johns, Arizona. The pilot was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Raton Municipal Airport/Crews Field (RTN), Raton, New Mexico, about 0900, en route to St. Johns. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed. The pilot was performing a wheel landing on runway 14. The landing was normal until the tail wheel touched down. The airplane veered to the right and came to a stop 180 degrees from the runway heading about 3 feet off the runway edge. The left wing tip and left main landing gear sustained damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. Throughout much of the morning, the wind's direction was variable and less than 4 knots. A routine aviation weather report (METAR) generated by an Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) at SJN indicated that about 6 minutes prior to the accident, winds were from a magnetic bearing of 290 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot was performing a wheel landing on runway 14 and the airplane ground looped, damaging the left landing gear and left wing tip. The landing was normal until the tail wheel touched down. The airplane veered to the right and came to a stop 180 degrees from the runway heading about 3 feet off the runway edge. Throughout much of the morning, the wind's direction was variable and less than 4 knots. A routine aviation weather report (METAR) at SJN indicated that about 6 minutes prior to the accident, winds were from a magnetic heading of 290 degrees at 5 knots. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12