- Date
- September 12, 2014, 22:45 local (Sep 13, 2014, 06:45 UTC)
- Place
- Nenana, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2419FCessna 180H
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Fairbanks FSDO-1
- FAA report
- 20140912018509A
- Case key
- 90068
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 improper recovery from a bounced landing, and his failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, while landing during dark night conditions.
Findings · 4
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 reported that he was landing a float-equipped airplane, during dark night conditions, in a 100 foot wide water lane that was adjacent to a lighted runway. The pilot said that as he approached his destination, he activated the lights on the adjacent runway to gain reference of the water's surface. On touchdown, the airplane bounced and became airborne. He recovered from the bounce, and added engine power to cushion the landing, but the airplane veered to the left, and the floats collided with the shoreline. The airplane continued onshore and it subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing a float-equipped airplane, during dark night conditions, in a 100 foot wide water lane that was adjacent to a lighted runway. The pilot said that as he approached his destination, he activated the lights on the adjacent runway to gain reference of the water's surface. On touchdown, the airplane bounced and became airborne. He recovered from the bounce, and added engine power to cushion the landing, but the airplane veered to the left, and the floats collided with the shoreline. The airplane continued onshore and it subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2419F
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051619
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 2,489
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 11, 2014 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- Nowitna River, AK
- Destination
- PANN · Nenana, AK
- Airport
- PANN · Nenana, runway 4W, 3,601 × 100 ft, water
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,760 total · 1,129 in this make and model · 1,590 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 80° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.57 inHg
- Observed at
- PANN
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 935 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.