- Date
- October 13, 2021, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chickaloon, AK · APPROX 11 MI NE OF PALMER
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9966NCessna 180JUnknownunknown unknown
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Midair collision
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20211013017051A
- Case key
- 104116
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
A mid-air collision for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.
Findings · 2
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.
N9966N · Cessna 180J
unknown unknown
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.
N9966N · Cessna 180J
Analysis
The pilot reported that while in level cruise flight over an area of remote and unpopulated terrain, at an altitude of about 1,500 ft mean sea level, he noticed a dark flash in the upper left corner of the windscreen. He immediately pitched the nose of the airplane down and to the right to avoid another airplane. With his airplane operating normally and unaware that the two airplanes had contacted each other, he continued to his destination airport. During a postflight inspection, he noticed black marks and metal damage on the upper surface of the left wing. A postaccident examination revealed that the airplane had sustained substantial damage to the left wing and what appeared to be a black tire mark. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The other aircraft involved has not been identified.
Aircraft · 2
- Registration
- N9966N
- Reported as
- Cessna 180J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052621
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 925.5
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 Series, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 27, 2020
- Departed
- BGQ · Big Lake, AK
- Destination
- PAQ · 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.
- Registration
- Unknown
- Reported as
- unknown unknown
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- unk
- Engine
- Unknown, unknown
- Fire
- Unknown
- Operator
- unk
- Registered owner
- unk
- Airworthiness certificate
- Unknown
- Equipment
- Unknown
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot, aircraft N9966N
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 19, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 940 in this make and model · 17,725 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.24 inHg
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 7 nm away
- METAR
- PAAQ 132053Z 35005KT 10SM OVC065 03/M05 A2924 RMK AO2 SLP905 T00331050 50000
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.