- Date
- March 10, 2024, 09:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK · lodge
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7741ACessna 180
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- 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/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240310002519A
- Case key
- 193925
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 directional control while taxiing, which resulted in a collision with trees.
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.
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 of a ski-equipped airplane reported that while taxiing on a snow-covered airstrip for takeoff, the left ski hit a snow drift which pulled the airplane off the runway and into a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7741A
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32638
- Built
- 1956
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Talaheim Air Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- 1AK8 · Talaheim, runway 18/36, 950 × 35 ft, snow
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 20,000 total · 7,800 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.09 inHg
- Observed at
- AWS, 53 nm away
- METAR
- PAWS 101956Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM OVC080 M02/M08 A2909 RMK AO2 SLP856 T10171083 FZRANO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 955 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.
Other investigations on N7741A · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.