NTSB LAX94LA248 — 1994-06-11 · WICKENBURG, Arizona, United States

Current FAA registration · N4764U

Make / Model: CESSNA 180H
Year of manufacture: 1965 · 29 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19650504
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A5DA5B

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N4764U Cessna 180H Serious

Probable cause & findings

the pilot's failure to remove the control lock prior to flight.

Factual narrative

On June 11, 1994, at 1000 hours mountain daylight time, the pilot of a Cessna 180H, N4764U, lost control and collided with terrain during takeoff from runway 05, at the Wickenburg Municipal Airport, Wickenburg, Arizona. The airplane was being operated as a personal flight by the pilot/owner. The airplane was substantially damaged. The certificated commercial pilot received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed with the winds from 240 degrees at 8 knots. The Civil Air Patrol (CAP), reported to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), that the airplane's control lock was found engaged in the control column after the accident. Additionally, photographs provided by the local sheriff's office indicated that the control lock was attached to the control column. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A TAKEOFF WITH THE CONTROL LOCK STILL ENGAGED IN THE CONTROL COLUMN. PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY THE LOCAL SHERIFF SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT DEPICTED THE CONTROL LOCK STILL INSTALLED. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1994_LAX94LA248.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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