- Date
- June 6, 1993, 11:38 local (19:38 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5252DCessna 180A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19930606016989A
- Case key
- 2352
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The pilot's failure to maintain direction control of the airplane during landing. The tailwind was a factor.
Analysis
The pilot reported that during the landing rollout, a gust of wind swung the tail of the airplane to the left, and the airplane began to skid to the right and ground loop. The left main landing gear collapsed. No deficiencies were noted with the landing gear wheel/brake assembly.
Factual narrative
On June 6, 1993, at 1138 Alaska daylight time (ADT), a wheel equipped Cessna 180A airplane, N5252D, owned and operated by the pilot in command, crashed during the landing rollout on runway 33 at Merrill Field, Alaska. The private certificated pilot in command and the one passenger, the sole occupants, were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was being operated as a pleasure flight under 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The flight originated at Port Alsworth at about 0915. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was not filed.
The pilot told the NTSB investigator in charge during the on scene investigation that during the landing rollout, a gust of wind swung the tail of the airplane to the left and the airplane began to skid to the right. The left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane went over onto its side. No problems were found with the landing gear wheel/brake assembly.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5252D
- Reported as
- Cessna 180A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 50150
- Airframe hours
- 4,726
- Engine
- Continental O-470-K1, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Severson, Laroy P.
- Registered owner
- Severson, Laroy P.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 25, 1992 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- Port Alsworth, AK
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field, runway 33, 4,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,223 total · 621 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRI, 1 nm away
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 N5252D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.