Cessna 180 N9411C accident near Halifax, North Carolina

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to land in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane directional control during the landing roll.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot, after landing with a 90-degree crosswind at 10 knots, gusting to 15 knots, the wind lifted the left wing, and the airplane "skipped" to the right about three or four times before the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane came to rest 180 degrees from the runway heading. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage landing gear bulkhead assembly, landing gear attachment angle, and the left wing strut attachment angle. Postaccident examination revealed that the airplane first touched down between the centerline and the left edge of the runway. The airplane bounced a minimum of four times with each bounce progressively closer to the left edge of the runway. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA13CA141 for the full record.