- Date
- March 25, 1989, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Skwentna, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9685BCessna 180-A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890325004659A
- Case key
- 5174
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 maintain directional control of the airplane during the takeoff run. A contributing factor to the accident is the pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing/takeoff site.
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 private pilot was attempting to land his ski equipped airplane at an off-airport landing site in deep wet snow. During the landing roll, the airplane began to sink into the snow. He elected to take off and return for another landing in the tracks he had just made. A few seconds prior to reaching lift-off speed, the right main ski hit a compacted snow machine track, causing the pilot to lose directional control. The pilot was unable to regain control and the airplane ultimately nosed over onto its back, sustaining substantial damage. The pilot believes that the accident could have been avoided had he reduced power and turned around in his landing tracks prior to attempting the takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9685B
- Reported as
- Cessna 180-A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32982
- Airframe hours
- 3,212
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Ivey, Gerald H.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 1988 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Hewett Lake, 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,108 total · 507 in this make and model · 1,045 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.