- Date
- May 22, 1989, 15:53 local (23:53 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9949NCessna 180J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 29, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890522012179A
- Case key
- 5108
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
Pilot-in-command's poor judgement, and his lack of initial training (none) in seaplane operations.
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
The airline transport certificated pilot was attempting to take off from a 3,500' lake at gross weight in a float equipped Cessna 180 airplane. The pilot was unable to become airborne on the first take off attempt. His second attempt was successful, but he became airborne late in the take off run and collided with trees on the shore line, narrowly missing two houses. The pilot was not rated for, and had taken no formal instruction in, seaplane operations prior to the accident flight. A local pilot/witness said that he watched the take off and saw what he described as obviously poor technique.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9949N
- Reported as
- Cessna 180J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052604
- Airframe hours
- 5,898
- Engine
- Continental O-470R, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Colson, Kevin A.
- Registered owner
- Colson, Kevin A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 18, 1988 · 37 hours before
- Airport
- NONE · Sand Lake
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,423 total · 270 in this make and model · 4,344 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 90 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ANC, 2 nm away
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 N9949N · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.