The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, the Cessna 180’s seat slid to its full aft position. He was unable to reach the control pedals and attempted to abort the takeoff.
He was not able to control the airplane and it yawed left into a ground loop near Waterloo, Iowa.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilizer, right wing, and right aileron.
A post-accident examination by an NTSB investigator and Textron Aviation revealed the secondary seat stop reel was not installed according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. The incorrect installation prevented the primary seat adjustment mechanism from fully engaging into the holes in the seat rail.
Probable cause: The incorrect installation of the secondary seat stop reel, which resulted in the pilot’s loss of control when the seat moved full aft during takeoff.
NTSB Identification: GAA15CA125
This June 2015 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Better on the ground than after wheels up. The pilot was lucky. According to the Textron report contained in the NTSB Docket the mechanic who maintained the aircraft took custody of it after the accident, but not before an FAA inspector examined the seat and took photos. The photos later showed that the mechanic had corrected his improper installation errors BEFORE the seat was forwarded to Textron for examination. The original installation used the wrong washers, resulting in significant binding that prevented the Cessna seat stop mechanism from functioning as designed. The Textron document in the Docket is an interesting report (with lots of photos).
On the older Cessnas I always rock back and forth in my seat as a pre taxi and pre takeoff check to ensure the seat is engaged on the seat rail. I always ask the right seater to do the same.
Nine times out of ten there is an audible click as the pins seat in the rail. Not sure if it would have helped with an incorrectly installed part, but it helps the rest of the time.