- Date
- September 16, 1991, 13:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Telida, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9640BCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910916045539A
- Case key
- 5621
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 getting disoriented during flight due to his inattentiveness, the airplane's low fuel level, the fss specialist's giving the pilot an incorrect heading to fly, poor radio communications between the fss and the pilot, the strong crosswind, and the airplane's landing performance capability being exceeded.
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 because of stronger than anticipated enroute winds, he became disoriented. He radioed the fss that he was disoriented and low on fuel, and requested adf steer to an airport. He was mistakenly given a heading that took him further away from his destination rather than towards it. Despite numerous attempts, the fss specialist was unable to contact the pilot again to correct the error. About 43 minutes later, with his fuel almost exhausted, he landed at a small airstrip about 70 miles northeast of his destination. During landing, he experienced an estimated 35 knot crosswind, lost directional control, and ground looped the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9640B
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32937
- Airframe hours
- 3,520
- Engine
- Continental O-470-K, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Patrick S. Twohy
- Registered owner
- Patrick S. Twohy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 7, 1991 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- DCK · Dahl Creek, AK
- Destination
- MCG · Mcgrath, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AK52 · Telida, runway 3, 1,100 × 30 ft, dirt
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 360 total · 194 in this make and model · 212 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 30 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.