- Date
- March 27, 1990, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lake Nikabuno, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N52104Cessna 180J
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900327006279A
- Case key
- 5345
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff.
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 pilot reported that he was attempting to take off from a frozen lake covered with wet, soft snow. He said that the takeoff roll took longer than anticipated, and that shortly after becoming airborne, the airplane's left main landing gear wheel ski struck a snow berm, causing substantial damage to the airplane structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N52104
- Reported as
- Cessna 180J
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052503
- Engine
- Continental O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Williard H. Cummings
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 8,220 total · 3,500 in this make and model · 7,900 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 125° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point -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.