- Date
- April 2, 1983, 12:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2345CCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19830402010769A
- Case key
- 4111
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the plt's accident report, he had climbed to 3200 ft, pulled the throttle full back to descend, then the eng stopped. He stated that he tried to start the eng, but was unable, so he landed straight ahead in trees. The acft was destroyed during impact with the trees. Witnesses reported that both occupants of the acft appeared to be intoxicated, were drinking while the acft was being refueled, and had made a 100 dollar wager that the plt could glide the acft from pioneer peak to finger lake with the eng shut off. One witness observed the acft with binoculars & saw that the eng was stopped. According to him, the eng had not been started by the time the acft went out of sight behind trees. Medical personnel reported that at the crash site, the plt appeared intoxicated, hostile & uncooperative. A blood sample taken about 2 1/2 hrs after the accident was found to have an alcohol level of 0.204.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2345C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30645
- Airframe hours
- 2,885
- Engine
- Continental O-470-A, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas W. Schiefer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 31, 1981 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- Z16 · Wasilla, 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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,013 total · 523 in this make and model · 519 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.