Cessna 180 N9024M accident near Brenham, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff from a rough field.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he had landed in a field short of the runway due to fuel exhaustion. After he purchased fuel from the landowner and fueled the airplane, the pilot attempted to takeoff proceeding downhill on the rough field. Video taken by a witness showed the airplane start the ground roll and head about 145°. The airplane bounced twice, once coming airborne, before the airplane settled back to the ground. The airplane then pitched up, collided with a barbed wire fence, and climbed slightly before it descended, veered to the left, and collided with terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and both horizontal stabilizers. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The prevailing wind at the time of the accident was a direct crosswind of 5 knots. The pilot refused to provide additional information concerning the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN21LA331 for the full record.