20230618009429I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 180 · Homer, AK · June 18, 2023

Date
June 18, 2023 · 14:52 local
Place
Homer, AK
Airport
Homer
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9466C
Reported as
Cessna 180
Reported engine
Continental O-470 series
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
8,000 total350 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days

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.

Pilot reported while at cruise flight between seldovia and Homer Alaska the aircraft lost engine power. The pilot reported adjusting the pitch to maintain best glide. The PIC picked an appropriate beach (haystack beach) to attempt an emergency landing. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but the plane was going down faster than expected so the pilot changed the emergency landing spot to neptune bay. Pilot reported while keeping a safe speed, nose down, flaps extended, and master off, ditched the aircraft close to shore. The pilot reported the airplane tipped forward and flipped outside down. The pilot and both passengers were able to exit the aircraft safely in shallow water without injuries.

While investigating incident and gathering statements and information the pilot in command admitted to mismanaging the fuel which led to fuel starvation and lost of engine.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED WHILE AT CRUISE FLIGHT BETWEEN SELDOVIA AND HOMER ALASKA THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT REPORTED ADJUSTING THE PITCH TO MAINTAIN BEST GLIDE. THE PIC PICKED AN APPROPRIATE BEACH (HAYSTACK BEACH) TO ATTEMPT AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BUT THE PLANE WAS GOING DOWN FASTER THAN EXPECTED SO THE PILOT CHANGED THE EMERGENCY LANDING SPOT TO NEPTUNE BAY. PILOT REPORTED WHILE KEEPING A SAFE SPEED, NOSE DOWN, FLAPS EXTENDED, AND MASTER OFF, DITCHED THE AIRCRAFT CLOSE TO SHORE. THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPLANE TIPPED FORWARD AND FLIPPED OUTSIDE DOWN. THE PILOT AND BOTH PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY IN SHALLOW WATER WITHOUT INJURIES.

WHILE INVESTIGATING INCIDENT AND GATHERING STATEMENTS AND INFORMATION THE PILOT IN COMMAND ADMITTED TO MISMANAGING THE FUEL WHICH LED TO FUEL STARVATION AND LOST OF ENGINE.