- Date
- October 20, 2002, 17:00 local (Oct 21, 2002, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wasilla, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1302DCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03
- FAA report
- 20021020029909A
- Case key
- 55929
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, resulting in the left wing striking the runway.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private certificated pilot was conducting a landing on a hard-surface runway. The pilot said that during the landing roll, the airplane swerved to the right, and the left wing subsequently struck the ground. The airplane came to rest along the right side of the runway. The airplane received damage to the left aileron, the outboard wing rib, and the upper surface of the wingtip. The weather conditions at the airport included calm winds.
Factual narrative
On October 20, 2002, about 1700 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N1302D, sustained substantial damage when the left wing struck the paved surface of a runway during landing at the Wasilla Airport, Wasilla, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska, at 1630.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on October 22, the pilot reported he was landing on runway 03 at Wasilla. During the landing roll, the pilot said the airplane swerved to the right, and the left wing subsequently struck the runway. The airplane came to rest along the right side of the runway.
On October 23, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, Anchorage Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), inspected the airplane. The inspector reported that the airplane received damage to the left aileron, the outboard wing rib, and the upper surface of the wingtip.
At 1655, an Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) at Wasilla was reporting in part: Wind, calm; visibility, 10 statute miles; clouds and sky condition, clear; temperature, 50 degrees F; dew point, 39 degrees F; altimeter, 29.21 inHg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1302D
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 180-51272
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert J. Hall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PAMR · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- PAWS · Wasilla, AK
- Airport
- PAWS · Wasilla, runway 03
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 650 total · 138 in this make and model · 41 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.20 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.