- Date
- March 30, 2012, 14:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N266VCessna 180
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration - Operations
- FAA report
- 20120330007359A
- Case key
- 83352
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 adequate clearance from terrain during low-level maneuvering.
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 stated that during a low-level reconnaissance pass of a landing site on a snow-covered glacier, flat light conditions made it difficult to discern topographical features. During the pass, the airplane's left wheel/ski struck the ground, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing subsequently struck the snow-covered ice, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing, left wing lift strut, and fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during a low level reconnaissance pass of a landing site on a snow-covered glacier, flat light conditions made it difficult to discern topographical features. During the pass the airplane's left wheel/ski struck the ground, and the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing subsequently struck the snow-covered ice, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing, left wing lift strut, and fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N266V
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31215
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors O-520 Series, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David B Eibeck
- Registered owner
- David B Eibeck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2011 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- Z41 · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Palmer, 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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 500 total · 400 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 14, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB 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.
Other investigations on N266V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.