- Date
- May 31, 2024, 17:05 local (Jun 1, 2024, 01:05 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N91224Cessna 180H
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- 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
- 20240531006109A
- Case key
- 194374
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 recognize and avoid an obstacle on the runway environment during takeoff roll. Contributing was flat light 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, while on takeoff roll from a gravel airstrip, the airplane’s left main wheel struck a pile of gravel, resulting in a nose over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations. The pilot added that flat light conditions, coupled with the gray silt ladened gravel, contributed to him not seeing the obstacle on the airstrip.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91224
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052010
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 3,420
- Engine
- Contential XP470-50, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Tailwheel Transitions LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 5, 2023 · 80 hours before
- Destination
- ALH · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- N/A · Holiday Park Residential, runway North, 2,100 × 15 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Private, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 3, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 14,500 total · 600 in this make and model · 6,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.66 inHg
- Observed at
- PASX, 8 nm away
- METAR
- PASX 010056Z AUTO 08009G15KT 10SM CLR 15/00 A2966 RMK AO2 SLP048 T01500000
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 28, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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 N91224 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.