NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR12CA308
Registry · N5351D
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA 180A
Engine
CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES (230 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19580417
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A6C57F
Registrant of record
SPLAN DAVID L
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Factual narrative
During landing roll, the pilot applied brakes and the tailwheel equipped airplane veered to the right. Despite the pilot’s control inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right, exited the runway surface, and came to rest nose low on soft terrain. The pilot initially reported that the airplane’s brakes were operating incorrectly; however, he later reported to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector that there was nothing wrong with the brakes. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the landing gear box sustained substantial damage. Further examination of the braking system revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. During landing roll, the pilot applied brakes, and the tailwheel-equipped airplane veered to the right. Despite the pilot’s control inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right, exited the runway surface, and came to rest nose down on soft terrain. The pilot initially reported that the airplane’s brakes were operating incorrectly; however, he later reported that there was nothing wrong with the brakes. Examination of the airplane revealed that the landing gear box sustained substantial damage. Further examination of the braking system revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
- C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2012_WPR12CA308.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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