- Date
- July 17, 1994, 20:50 local (Jul 18, 1994, 04:50 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9278CCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 10, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19940717018689A
- Case key
- 2525
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's failure to maintain directional control.
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 was taking off from runway 15. The wind was from 120 deg at 8 KTS. He stated that he used left aileron during the takeoff roll and right rudder to remain on the centerline. When he raised the tail the airplane made a left turn, departed off the left side of the runway, dragged the right wing and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On July 17, 1994, at 2050 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N9278C, registered to and operated by the pilot, ground looped and nosed over while trying to takeoff from the Palmer Airport, Palmer, Alaska. The personal flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 91, was departing Palmer Airport and the destination was Merrill Field in Anchorage, Alaska. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
According to the pilot's statement, he added power slowly while using left aileron to correct for the wind. As the airplane rolled down the runway he applied right rudder to keep the airplane on the center line. He raised the tail and the airplane turned to the left. He added more right rudder and aborted the take off attempt by "cutting" the power and tried to stop the airplane. The airplane departed the left side of the runway with the right wing lower than the left. The right wing struck the ground and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9278C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31377
- Airframe hours
- 4,955
- Engine
- Continental O-470-J, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kittoe, Daniel
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 26, 1994 · 55 hours before
- Destination
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- PAQ · Palmer, runway 15, 5,000 × 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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 133 total · 41 in this make and model · 67 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAQ
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 N9278C · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.