# NTSB ANC24LA093: Cessna 180B, N5275E, Anchorage, AK, September 14, 2024

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: September 13, 2024, 16:00 local (Sep 14, 2024, 00:00 UTC)
- Place: Anchorage, AK
- Coordinates: 61.238672, -149.98331
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.2387&lon=-149.9833&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Aircraft wake turb encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor
- 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
- NTSB case key (mKey): 195122
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC24LA093
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/195122/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195122
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA093

## Probable cause

The pilot’s encounter with wake turbulence, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Turbulence: wake turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 180B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025/cases.md?model=2072606), [All aircraft, 47 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025/cases.md)
- [Turbulence: wake turbulence](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Contributed to outcome (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 180B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025/cases.md?model=2072606), [All aircraft, 47 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03032025/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Aircraft wake turb encounter](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 180B, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361/sequence.md?model=2072606), [All aircraft, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/361/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported he was inbound to land and was waiting for a break in chatter on the radio to contact the air traffic control tower. He was about 7 miles from the airport, and about 1,050 ft mean sea level when he encountered wake turbulence presumably from a Boeing 747 inbound to an adjacent runway. He stated the airplane violently dropped and he struck his head on the ceiling. He was able to maintain control of the airplane and land uneventfully. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5275E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5275E), registered now, S/N 50575, built 1959 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 180B
- Registry model: [Cessna 180B](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180b) (registry code 2072606) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 50575
- Year built: 1959
- Airframe hours: 7116
- Engines: Continental O-470-K 230 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2024
- Departed: pvt, Beluga, AK
- Destination: LHD, Anchorage, AK
- Airport: LHD, Lake Hood, runway W, 4,541 × 188 ft, water
- Equipment: Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 65; injuries: minor; airline transport, flight instructor, commercial, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 30, 2024; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 26,000 total, 1,700 in this make and model, 7,500 as pilot in command, 35 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 4,700 ft overcast
- Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter: 29.50 inHg
- Observed at: ALH, 4 nm away
- METAR: PALH 131153Z 00000KT 10SM OVC047 10/10 A2950 RMK AO2 SLP991 70085 T01000100 10106 20100 51016

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20240913016229A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240913016229A), Sep 13, 2024: Cessna 180B, Anchorage, AK, Substantial damage. Pilot was returning to palh after a flight to a lake northwest of palh. Was returning to palh along the powerlines following the normal west rout arrival. This…

## Docket (3 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 5, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=195122. 2.3 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18741975&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_1_Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- FAA inspector's statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 62 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18743405&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MOR-%20Swartz-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 3, PDF, 4 pages, 627 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18073931&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photos-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.