N5281DCessna 180A · 1958

On April 4, 2024, at 1445 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 180A, N5281D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Priest Lake United States Forest Service Airport (67S), Nordman, Idaho. The pilot and flight instructor were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

The pilot had purchased the tailwheel-equipped airplane one month prior to the accident and had been receiving dual instruction from the flight instructor to meet an insurance-mandated tailwheel training requirement.

The pilot and flight instructor had spent most of the training accomplishing a dozen or so landings at various local airports on the day of the accident. While conducting a power-off approach the airplane developed a higher-than-normal sink rate. The flight instructor called for additional power, but the engine briefly hesitated as power was applied. The flight instructor managed the power and applied aft yoke input to flare the airplane, which resulted in a firm touchdown with a minimal bounce. During the bounce, the left main wheel axle assembly separated from the landing gear leg. When the exposed landing gear leg contacted the grass surface, it separated from the airframe. The fuselage and left wing then contacted the ground, sliding on the left wing and right main landing gear wheel resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The airplane came to rest upright, with the nose of the airplane oriented 180° to the landing direction. The associated nuts were not recovered from the accident site.

Metallurgical examination of the left main landing gear axle assembly revealed that all 4 bolts remained installed through the flange that was mated with the leg. The bolts exhibited bending and tensile loading near the fracture with a portion of the bolt threads completely sheared off. These features were consistent with the shearing of the nuts from the attachment bolts due to landing forces. The axle surfaces exhibited fretting wear consistent with repeated oscillatory loads between loose joints. Due to the damage of the threads, it may indicate that the nuts were engaged only at the end of the bolts.

During the metallurgical examination of the axle assembly, fatigue cracking was identified on the surface of the landing gear leg. The fracture of the landing gear leg exhibited fatigue cracks in multiple locations along the surface of the leg due to a corrosion pit that had propagated upward through the landing gear leg.

A review of maintenance records showed that an annual inspection, including brake and wheel work, had been completed on March 20, 2024. Additionally, on June 1, 2023, the main landing gear had been removed for the installation of floats.

On May 13, 2014, about 1430 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180A, N5281D, sustained substantial damage to the left wing during a ground loop at the Nampa Municipal Airport (MAN), Nampa, Idaho. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from MAN at about 1415.

The pilot reported that after an uneventful approach to the runway, he landed the tailwheel equipped airplane in a tail low, three-point landing. About 30 feet into the landing roll the airplane suddenly turned sharply to the right and ground looped. Subsequently, the landing gear collapsed and the left wing impacted the ground.

Postaccident examination of the tailwheel by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the tailwheel was heavily worn; however, it castered freely, and no anomalies were noted.