- Date
- March 8, 1993, 15:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Port Alsworth, AK
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9737GCessna 180H
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930308005799A
- Case key
- 5868
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 non instrument rated pilot in command entering instrument meteorological conditions. A factor in the accident was the snow/whiteout condition.
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 non instrument rated private pilot reported that he entered whiteout conditions caused by blowing snow shortly after becoming airborne and unintentionally allowed the plane to descend and collide with the frozen surface of the lake. The pilot further reported that he did not have a current biennial flight review (bfr) or flight medical and that he did not recall having received instruction on how to execute a 180 degree change of direction turn using only the basic (partial panel) flight instruments.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9737G
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052237
- Airframe hours
- 2,400
- Engine
- Continental O-470R, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hornberger, Charles G.
- Registered owner
- Hornberger, Charles G.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 1992 · 127 hours before
- Destination
- Koksetna Lodge, 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
- 59
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 4,000 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F
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 N9737G · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.