ANC94LA033

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 180A · Anchorage, AK · February 10, 1994

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
February 10, 1994, 14:40 local (18:40 UTC)
Place
Anchorage, AK
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N288LSCessna 180A
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report January 12, 1995
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
Alaska Regional Office
FAA report
19940210002029A
Case key
2485

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing rollout. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience in the airplane.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in commandCause
Lack of recent experience in type of aircraftPilot in commandFactor

Analysis

The pilot reported that he carried some additional power during the landing phase to prevent shock cooling the plane's new engine. The winds were reported by the ATIS to be from 230 degrees at 4 knots. Shortly after touchdown, the plane began to veer to the right. Corrective action was applied and the aircraft veered to the left, departed the left side of the runway, and nosed over.

Factual narrative

On February 10, 1994, at 1440 Alaska standard time, a wheel equipped Cessna 180A airplane, N288LS, departed the side of runway 24 at the Merrill Field Airport, Anchorage, Alaska during the landing rollout and nosed over. The private certificated pilot-in-command, the sole occupant, was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal local flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, departed the Merrill Airport at approximately 1330. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported that for the approach/landing, he carried some additional engine power to prevent shock cooling the plane's new engine. The ATIS winds were 230 at 4 knots. Shortly after touchdown, the plane began to veer to the right. Corrective action was applied with no immediate result and the engine power was chopped. The plane then began to veer to the left dragging the left wing tip on the runway. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, proceeded through the snow, and nosed over onto its back coming to rest 20 to 30 feet from the edge of the runway.

Aircraft

Registration
N288LS
Reported as
Cessna 180A
Category
Airplane
Serial number
32953
Airframe hours
4,255
Engine
Continental O-470L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Mears, Willard A.
Registered owner
Mears, Willard A.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · November 11, 1993 · 10 hours before
Departed
MRI
Airport
MRI · Merrill Field, runway 24, 3,999 × 100 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
61
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
1,000 total · 1,000 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
230° at 4 knots
Visibility
80 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
21 °F, dew point 10 °F
Altimeter
29.00 inHg
Observed at
MRI

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.