- Date
- September 24, 2010, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N180BSCessna 180C
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100924049439A
- Case key
- 77412
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 compensate for the gusting wind during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with water.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
While on departure from a seaplane base, the airplane encountered a gust of wind. The right wing lifted and the pilot could not maintain control. The airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage upon impact with the water. A weather report indicated that, about 10 minutes prior to the accident, wind conditions were at 24 knots, gusting to 38 knots, and peaking at 43 knots. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The floatplane was taking off from a seaplane base and encountered a gust of wind, which lifted the right wing. The pilot was unable to maintain control, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage on impact with the water. About ten minutes prior to takeoff, recorded wind near the seaplane base was from 030 degrees at 24 knots gusting to 38 knots, with peak winds of 43 knots. The pilot indicated that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the accident flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N180BS
- Reported as
- Cessna 180C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 624
- Airframe hours
- 7,016
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 2010
- Departed
- LHD · Anckorage, AK
- Destination
- Movie Lake, AK
- Airport
- LHD · Lake Hood Seaplane Base
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,457 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 24 knots, gusting 38
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 28.94 inHg
- Observed at
- PALH
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 28, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 521 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.