What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 22, 2015, about 2020 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N3043E, sustained substantial damage after impacting tree-covered terrain while maneuvering low level about 5 miles southwest of Kasilof, Alaska. The private pilot and sole passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, the pilot under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed.
A witness that was standing on his deck that overlooked the ocean waters of the cook inlet, stated that he first saw the accident airplane flying low level, about 20 feet above the beach. He said that he began watching the airplane about 1 mile from his location, and as the airplane continued flying toward him, the engine sound appeared normal. He reported that when the airplane was directly in front of him, it pitched up to about 45 degrees and climbed to about 300 feet above the beach, and about 100 feet above the trees located on the bluff overlooking the cook inlet. He said that as the nose of the airplane began to lower, he heard a reduction in engine power, followed by a sound that was consistent with an engine misfiring. The airplane then descended into an area of tree-covered terrain at the top of the bluff, and it disappeared from view. Immediately after, a loud sound consistent with an impact was heard. The witness said that as he approached the site, about .1 mile from his previous location, a postimpact fire had already consumed a large portion of the wreckage, and firearms ammunition could be heard exploding from within the burning airplane.
A second witness, who could not see the airplane, said he heard an aircraft overhead about the time of the accident that was making noises consistent with an engine sputtering.
An anchorage flight standards district office federal aviation administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector reached the accident site on the morning of August 23. The airplane came to rest in an area of densely populated spruce trees and thick brush at an elevation of about 45 feet MSL, on a heading of about 217 degrees. The postaccident fire incinerated the fuselage and left wing of the airplane.
The closest weather reporting facility is soldotna airport, soldotna, Alaska, about 15 miles northeast of the accident site. At 2016, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) from the soldotna airport was reporting in part: wind from 290 degrees at 8 knots; sky condition, clear; visibility, 10 statute miles; altimeter, 29.85 inhg.
A detailed wreckage and engine examination is pending. The airplane was equipped with a Continental motors O-470 series engine.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 22, 2015, ABOUT 2020 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL-EQUIPPED CESSNA 180 AIRPLANE, N3043E, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER IMPACTING TREE-COVERED TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING LOW LEVEL ABOUT 5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF KASILOF, ALASKA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND SOLE PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO, AND OPERATED BY, THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED.
A WITNESS THAT WAS STANDING ON HIS DECK THAT OVERLOOKED THE OCEAN WATERS OF THE COOK INLET, STATED THAT HE FIRST SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE FLYING LOW LEVEL, ABOUT 20 FEET ABOVE THE BEACH. HE SAID THAT HE BEGAN WATCHING THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 1 MILE FROM HIS LOCATION, AND AS THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED FLYING TOWARD HIM, THE ENGINE SOUND APPEARED NORMAL. HE REPORTED THAT WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM, IT PITCHED UP TO ABOUT 45 DEGREES AND CLIMBED TO ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE BEACH, AND ABOUT 100 FEET ABOVE THE TREES LOCATED ON THE BLUFF OVERLOOKING THE COOK INLET. HE SAID THAT AS THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO LOWER, HE HEARD A REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER, FOLLOWED BY A SOUND THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH AN ENGINE MISFIRING. THE AIRPLANE THEN DESCENDED INTO AN AREA OF TREE-COVERED TERRAIN AT THE TOP OF THE BLUFF, AND IT DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW. IMMEDIATELY AFTER, A LOUD SOUND CONSISTENT WITH AN IMPACT WAS HEARD. THE WITNESS SAID THAT AS HE APPROACHED THE SITE, ABOUT .1 MILE FROM HIS PREVIOUS LOCATION, A POSTIMPACT FIRE HAD ALREADY CONSUMED A LARGE PORTION OF THE WRECKAGE, AND FIREARMS AMMUNITION COULD BE HEARD EXPLODING FROM WITHIN THE BURNING AIRPLANE.
A SECOND WITNESS, WHO COULD NOT SEE THE AIRPLANE, SAID HE HEARD AN AIRCRAFT OVERHEAD ABOUT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THAT WAS MAKING NOISES CONSISTENT WITH AN ENGINE SPUTTERING.
AN ANCHORAGE FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR REACHED THE ACCIDENT SITE ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 23. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST IN AN AREA OF DENSELY POPULATED SPRUCE TREES AND THICK BRUSH AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 45 FEET MSL, ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 217 DEGREES. THE POSTACCIDENT FIRE INCINERATED THE FUSELAGE AND LEFT WING OF THE AIRPLANE.
THE CLOSEST WEATHER REPORTING FACILITY IS SOLDOTNA AIRPORT, SOLDOTNA, ALASKA, ABOUT 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. AT 2016, AN AVIATION ROUTINE WEATHER REPORT (METAR) FROM THE SOLDOTNA AIRPORT WAS REPORTING IN PART: WIND FROM 290 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS; SKY CONDITION, CLEAR; VISIBILITY, 10 STATUTE MILES; ALTIMETER, 29.85 INHG.
A DETAILED WRECKAGE AND ENGINE EXAMINATION IS PENDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A CONTINENTAL MOTORS O-470 SERIES ENGINE.
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 N3043E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.