- Date
- September 30, 1990, 18:30 local (Oct 1, 1990, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Swift River, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9339TCessna 180
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900930043539A
- Case key
- 5466
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-in-command's failure to understand the performance data of the airplane, and his failure to identify unsuitable terrain.
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 stated that during a takeoff on the lake, the airplane failed to clear the rising terrain at the end of the lake. The airplane struck the sloping terrain in a climb altitude. After ground impact, the airplane nosed over on to its back.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9339T
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 50839
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- George Ziots
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 44
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 812 total · 445 in this make and model · 650 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
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 N9339T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.