- Date
- June 16, 2011, 20:30 local (Jun 17, 2011, 04:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3934BCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 19, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20110616011079A
- Case key
- 80802
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 the proper glide path during his landing approach, resulting in an undershoot and collision with terrain.
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
The pilot was returning to his private airstrip after practicing landings at a local airport. He reported the approach to his airstrip was over water, and as he approached the transition from over water to over land, he encountered a downdraft. The airplane touched down short of the landing area, and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The private pilot was returning to his private airstrip after practicing landings at a local airport. He said the approach to his airstrip is over water, and as he approached the transition from over water to over land, he encountered a downdraft. The airplane touched down short of the landing area, and nosed over, resulting in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot said there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3934B
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30148
- Airframe hours
- 4,913
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Godin Chester A
- Registered owner
- Godin Chester A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 28, 2010
- Departed
- Big Lake, AK
- Destination
- Big Lake, AK
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 21, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,500 total · 1,092 in this make and model · 5,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 148 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.