Cessna 180 N3242D accident near Cascade, Idaho

Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate compensation for a wind gust during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was a windsock partially sheltered by trees that provided inaccurate wind information.

NTSB analysis

According to the pilot and a witness, the landing approach was normal, and the airplane touched down in a three-point attitude close to the runway threshold and on the runway centerline. The airplane encountered a wind gust, became airborne again, drifted to the right, and touched down off the runway in an area covered with about 18 inches of snow. The pilot added power to recover, but the airplane’s main wheels sank into the snow, and the airplane nosed over onto its back, sustaining substantial damage to the horizontal and vertical stabilizers and to one wing. The pilot noted that no mechanical malfunction or failure contributed to the accident. The pilot stated that, if he had been aware of any wind gusts prior to landing, he would have conducted a wheel landing instead of a three-point landing. Witnesses familiar with the airport reported that trees partially sheltered the windsock from wind out of the south/southwest, which was the wind direction at the time of the accident, and, therefore, wind from this direction was not always accurately indicated by the windsock.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR12CA086 for the full record.