- Date
- July 17, 2025, 12:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gulkana, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N91393Cessna 180H
- Defining event
- Taxi: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2026
- 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
- 20250717014149A
- Case key
- 200608
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 failure of the left rudder assembly which resulted in a runway excursion and ground loop.
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 reported that immediately after touchdown he heard a “pop” or “snap,” at which point his left foot and the left rudder pedal moved fully forward to the firewall. Left rudder control was lost, and the airplane continued down the runway as the tail swung left. Unable to regain directional control, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway, ground looped, and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination determined that the rudder bar assembly weld had failed at the attachment to the rudder pedal. The operator stated that the airplane is normally operated on wheel/skis, which require increased rudder pedal forces during ground operations. The operator also noted evidence of preexisting cracking along the weld that was not identified during the most recent maintenance inspection.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91393
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052063
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 8,775
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Operator
- Copper Calley Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 26, 2025
- Departed
- PAGK · Glennallen, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- Sanford River strip
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 13, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 7,698 total · 800 in this make and model · 6,400 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- AGK, 20 nm away
- METAR
- PAGK 171953Z AUTO 26005KT 10SM SCT041 18/08 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP170 T01830083 TSNO
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 22, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.9 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 N91393 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.