Cessna 180A N889SL accident near Grand Prairie, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing. Contributing to the accident was the unexpected sudden wind shift.

NTSB analysis

The pilot executed a wheel landing but before the tail wheel settled onto the runway, the airplane drifted to the right after encountering an unexpected wind shift. His efforts to maintain control were not successful. The airplane subsequently exited the runway and traversed across the grass towards a retention pond. In an attempt to stop the airplane before the pond, the pilot applied heavy braking, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The vertical stabilizer, rudder, left wing and lift strut sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. He added that transitioning the tail wheel down onto the runway sooner instead of expediting his exit from the runway, he may have been able to maintain directional control during the wind shift.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN23LA275 for the full record.