# Accident 20150209002889A: Cessna 180, Gulkana, AK, February 9, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 9, 2015, 11:10 local time
- Place: Gulkana, AK
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 62.0564° N, 145.2525° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=62.0564&lon=-145.2525&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9280C, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9280C-2018-03-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 180 (registry code 2072602, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 180
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 33,000 total, 6,000 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC15LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15LA011) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150209002889A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ANC15LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15LA011), Feb 9, 2015: Cessna 180 (N9280C), Glennallen, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: An in-flight fire and a partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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