Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Roberts Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Redmond, Oregon 97756
Monday, September 16, 2013 11:26 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On September 16, 2013, about 1126 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180, N5112E, was substantially damaged when it ground-looped just after landing at Roberts Field (RDM) Redmond, Oregon. The private pilot/owner of the high-wing, tailwheel-equipped airplane was not injured. The business flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no FAA flight plan was filed for the flight.
According to the pilot, per the instructions of the controller in the air traffic control tower (ATCT), he entered a left downwind leg of the traffic pattern for runway 10, and was subsequently cleared to land. The approach and touchdown were normal, but just after that a wind gust lifted the left wing and the pilot was unable to successfully counter it. The airplane veered to the left and the right wing and horizontal stabilizer contacted the runway surface. The airplane came to a stop right facing back towards the approach path. The controller asked the pilot whether he required any assistance, and the pilot responded in the negative. The pilot was then cleared to taxi to his destination on the airport, which he did uneventfully. Subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that the right outboard wing and right horizontal stabilizer has sustained substantial damage from the runway contact.
Information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that RDM runway 10 measured 7,000 feet by 100 feet. The automated terminal information service (ATIS) broadcast, valid as of 1056 and for the time of the accident, reported a wind direction of "variable," with a speed of 3 knots. When the pilot reported to the ATCT controller that he was midfield on the downwind leg, the controller issued the pilot wind values of 340 degrees at 4 knots. Review of wind information from the automated surface observation system (ASOS), which was recorded in 1-minute intervals, revealed that the wind direction recorded by the system changed about 60 degrees in the minute surrounding the time of the landing, and that the recorded speeds were between 4 and 7 knots.
Review of the data capture and processing methods used by the ASOS revealed that raw wind information was sensed and recorded every second, but those raw values were not necessarily the values provided to pilots. The ASOS employed data smoothing algorithms that were used to minimize "erroneous" wind readings and consequent unnecessary service calls for the ASOS equipment. In addition, the raw, 1-second interval, data is overwritten every 14 hours, and was therefore unavailable for the investigation.
The pilot reported that he had 1,068 hours total flight experience, including 520 in the accident airplane make and model. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued in April 2013, and his most recent flight review was completed in that same month. The airplane was manufactured in 1958, and had accumulated a total time of about 1,914 hours in service.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/16/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1126 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Redmond |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97756 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 441524N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1210900W |
| Event Location Airport | Roberts Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RDM |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3100 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1156 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | rdm |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3100 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 19 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 330 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.97 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | -- |
| NTSB Notification Source | NTSB Comm Center/Pilot called |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 29 2013 7:46PM |
| User who most recently changed record | huhm |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5112E |
| NTSB Number | WPR13LA414 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 180 - B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 50412 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2650 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 1 2012 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 60 |
| Airframe Hours | 1914 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Tailwheel Excursions LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Prineville |
| Aircraft Owner State | OR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 97754 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Tailwheel Excursions LLC |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Prineville |
| Operator State | OR |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 97754 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | OG21 |
| Departure City | -- |
| Departure State | OR |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1125 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | RDM |
| Destination City | Redmond |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 30 2013 6:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 10 |
| Runway Length | 7006 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |