VALENTINE, TX, USA
N19694
Cessna 180K
The pilot reported that he was landing on a 1,500-foot private dirt airstrip in the bottom of a canyon. The airstrip was dogleg shaped, turning approximately 30 degrees at the midpoint, with parallel dirt banks on both sides. The pilot further reported that he landed long and was 'too fast for the turn in the strip.' The airplane exited the left side of the airstrip and impacted the dirt bank.
On January 22, 1997, at 1200 central standard time, a Cessna 180K, N19694, was substantially damaged following a loss of control while landing on a private airstrip near Valentine, Texas. The private pilot, the sole occupant of the airplane, was not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private owner under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross country flight which originated from El Paso International Airport, El Paso, Texas. A flight plan was not filed. The pilot reported during two telephone conversations with the investigator-in-charge that he was landing on a 1,500 foot private dirt airstrip in the bottom of a canyon. The airstrip was dog-leg in shape, turning approximately 30 degrees at the mid-point, with parallel dirt banks on both sides. The pilot further reported that he landed long and was "too fast for the turn in the strip." The tailwheel equipped airplane exited the left side of the airstrip and impacted the dirt bank. The left main gear was separated from the fuselage, and the outer one-third of the left wing was bent upward. Numerous attempts to obtain a completed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1/2, were unsuccessful.
The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point, and the excessive airspeed during the approach and landing. A factor was the dirt bank paralleling the airstrip.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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