# Accident 20260830012979A: Cessna 180A, San Juan Bay, AK, August 30, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 30, 2026, 23:54 local time
- Place: San Juan Bay, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 59.8083° N, 147.8965° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.8083&lon=-147.8965&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5399D, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5399D) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 180A (registry code 2072604, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental O-470 series (registry code 17026, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 180A
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR O-470 SERIES
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 3,260 total, 42 in this make and model, 12 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC26LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA094) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260830012979A

## Narrative

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

FROM THE PILOTS OWN STATEMENT:

"ARRIVED AT THE AIRCRAFT APPROX 1 HR PRIOR TO PLANNED DEPARTURE FOR NORMAL PREFLIGHT DUTIES, WEATHER/SIGMET/AIRMET/NOTAMS CHECK VIA FOREFLIGHT, ADDITIONAL WIND CHECK VIA WINDY APP, FULL AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT CHECK, NOTHING NOTED.

DEPARTED PAMR, APPROX 1230L, RWY 23, CAMPBELL DEPARTURE, WEATHER AT DEPARTURE: 250/5, UNRESTRICTED VIS, CEILING >15,000', RANDOM VFR ENROUTE FLIGHT AT VARIOUS ALTITUDES TO SAN JUAN BAY (MONTAGUE ISLAND), ARRIVED FROM THE NORTHWEST OF SAN JUAN BAY, SLOW DESCENT TO 1,000' MSL/AGL, OFFSET OVER

FLIGHT OF THE BEACH X2 TO EXAMINE THE LANDING SURFACE, WEATHER AT ARRIVAL: 180/5, UNRESTRICTED VIS, CEILING >15,000', HIGH TIDE FORECAST OF +10' AT

1525L, NOTED (2) AIRCRAFT ALREADY PARKED ON THE UPPER BEACH, ENSURED LENGTH/WIDTH OF BEACH WAS

SUFFICIENT (ESTIMATE APPROX 4,000' X 300' AVAILABLE), MADE RIGHT TRAFFIC W/APPROPRIATE CTAF CALLS ON 122.9, FOLLOWING SECOND PASS.

CONFIGURED FOR LANDING, FLARE WAS UNEVENTFUL, SURFACE STILL APPEARED SUITABLE TO LAND (TIME APPROX 1335L), AIRCRAFT TOUCHED THE SAND WENT SLIGHTLY AIRBORNE AGAIN, MAINTAINED LANDING ATTITUDE, AIRCRAFT TOUCHED THE SAND A SECOND TIME, AIRCRAFT SLOWED SIGNIFICANTLY CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO

TIP OVER ON ITS NOSE, THEN ITS BACK.

IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE MASTER, NAV/BEACON, MAGNETOS, AND FUEL SELECTOR, ENSURED ALL OCCUPANTS WERE IN A SUITABLE CONDITION TO EVACUATE THE AIRCRAFT, INITIATED EVACUATION W/ASSEMBLY HIGHER ON THE BEACH AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT".

## 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 ANC26LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA094), Aug 30, 2026: Cessna 180A (N5399D), Cordova, AK, substantial damage, investigation ongoing

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.