N5281D

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 USFS Airport (67S), Nordman, Idaho. The pilot and instructor were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, he purchased the tailwheel-equipped airplane a month prior to the accident and was undergoing a series of flight lessons with the instructor to satisfy a tailwheel insurance requirement.

The pilot stated that he conducted a power off approach to runway 16, and the airplane had a higher-than-normal sink rate. The instructor pulled back the control yoke, flared and the airplane touched down. The pilot and instructor both described the landing as firm, with a minimal short bounce and it was not excessively hard. During the bounce, the left main wheel assembly separated from the gear leg. As the left main landing gear leg contacted the grass, it separated from the airframe. Subsequently, the fuselage and left wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to rest upright.

Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing was substantially damaged. The left main landing gear was separated just outboard of the gearbox mount structure, and the left main wheel and axle were separated from the gear leg. The left main landing gear leg, left axle, and attachment bolts were retained for further examination.