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20150209002889A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 180 · Gulkana, AK · February 9, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 9, 2015 · 11:10 local
Place
Gulkana, AK
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9280C
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC15LA011
Reported as
Cessna 180
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
33,000 total6,000 in this make and model50 in the last 90 days
N9280CRegistration cancelled Mar 16, 2018 · Cessna 180S/N 31379 · Built 1955Airframe modelCessna 180Engine modelContinental O-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The PIC stated that the aircraft had been hangared and an engine oil heater/blanket were used for approximately two hours prior to start due to the extremely cold temperature--approximately -28F at the time of departure.

After start, the aircraft engine had been allowed to warm for approximately 20 minutes and had been taxied using carburetor heat.

Weather was clear/vmc. The aircraft departed runway 15 at the Gulkana airport and began a climb to the southeast. Approximately 10 miles southeast of the airport passing 4000 feet, the PIC began to smell and see smoke. Smoke appeared to be coming from the heater outlet. There were no visible flames at this time. The PIC turned the aircraft back to the northwest towards the Gulkana airport. The PIC stated the engine began to run rough, was ?missing? And then shortly thereafter, it quit.

The PIC slowed the aircraft to approximate glide speed and began to look for an emergency landing site. The PIC stated that it was obvious that he would not make it back to the Gulkana airport. The PIC stated he turned the fuel selector to the off position.

Initially he had a clearing in sight but eventually determined he could not make the clearing either and was forced to make an emergency landing in trees.

The aircraft flipped over, and came to rest inverted and backwards. The PIC stated he was not injured as a result of the emergency landing.

As the FAA filed it

THE PIC STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN HANGARED AND AN ENGINE OIL HEATER/BLANKET WERE USED FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS PRIOR TO START DUE TO THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURE--APPROXIMATELY -28F AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE.

AFTER START, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE HAD BEEN ALLOWED TO WARM FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES AND HAD BEEN TAXIED USING CARBURETOR HEAT.

WEATHER WAS CLEAR/VMC. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 15 AT THE GULKANA AIRPORT AND BEGAN A CLIMB TO THE SOUTHEAST. APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT PASSING 4000 FEET, THE PIC BEGAN TO SMELL AND SEE SMOKE. SMOKE APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE HEATER OUTLET. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE FLAMES AT THIS TIME. THE PIC TURNED THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO THE NORTHWEST TOWARDS THE GULKANA AIRPORT. THE PIC STATED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH, WAS ?MISSING? AND THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IT QUIT.

THE PIC SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO APPROXIMATE GLIDE SPEED AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING SITE. THE PIC STATED THAT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT BACK TO THE GULKANA AIRPORT. THE PIC STATED HE TURNED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OFF POSITION.

INITIALLY HE HAD A CLEARING IN SIGHT BUT EVENTUALLY DETERMINED HE COULD NOT MAKE THE CLEARING EITHER AND WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN TREES.

THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER, AND CAME TO REST INVERTED AND BACKWARDS. THE PIC STATED HE WAS NOT INJURED AS A RESULT OF THE EMERGENCY LANDING.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC15LA011Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGlennallen, AKAn in-flight fire and a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.Feb 9, 2015 · Substantial damage