What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft crashed on landing under unknown circumstances and sustained substantial damage. (-23) gear collapsed due to wrong gear bolt installed on the a/c. (.19)on April 4, 1999, about 1430 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski equipped, Cessna 180 airplane, N420SB, sustained substantial damage during landing on a frozen lake, 27 miles south-sothwest fo Iliamna, Alaska. The pilot and sole passenger were not injured. The airplane was being operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight. The flight had departed from a frozen lake about 10 miles southwest of the accident site about 1400. Visual meteorological condition prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge during a telephone interview on April 9th that he was returning to palmer, Alaska, at the completion of a hunting trip. He indicated that after takeoff, the ceilings and visibility deteriorated, with low ceilings and visibility in snow showers. He decided to land on another frozen lake and wait for the weather to improve. During the landing roll, the left main gear leg separated f rom its mount, damaging the main gear supporting structure. The pilot and passenger were picked up by a passing helicopter. The main landing gear legs had been installed within the previous two months.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT CRASHED ON LANDING UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (-23) GEAR COLLAPSED DUE TO WRONG GEAR BOLT INSTALLED ON THE A/C. (.19)ON APRIL 4, 1999, ABOUT 1430 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL/SKI EQUIPPED, CESSNA 180 AIRPLANE, N420SB, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING LANDING ON A FROZEN LAKE, 27 MILES SOUTH-SOTHWEST FO ILIAMNA, ALASKA. THE PILOT AND SOLE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED FROM A FROZEN LAKE ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE ABOUT 1400. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE PILOT TOLD THE NTSB INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE DURING A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW ON APRIL 9TH THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO PALMER, ALASKA, AT THE COMPLETION OF A HUNTING TRIP. HE INDICATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY DETERIORATED, WITH LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY IN SNOW SHOWERS. HE DECIDED TO LAND ON ANOTHER FROZEN LAKE AND WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO IMPROVE. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR LEG SEPARATED F ROM ITS MOUNT, DAMAGING THE MAIN GEAR SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE PICKED UP BY A PASSING HELICOPTER. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR LEGS HAD BEEN INSTALLED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS TWO MONTHS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N420SB · 6
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.