- Date
- July 5, 1995, 18:30 local (Jul 6, 1995, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Naknek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N2975CCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950705016649A
- Case key
- 2681
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for taxi.
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 reported he landed on a remote beach site. After landing, he noticed the beach was soft, and he elected to taxi to higher and firmer ground. During taxi, the left main landing gear struck a rock and separated from the airplane.
Factual narrative
On July 5, 1995, about 1830 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna model 180 airplane, N2975C, sustained substantial damage while taxiing after landing on a beach on the west shore of Bristol Bay, located approximately 12 miles west of Naknek, Alaska. The solo private pilot reported no injury. The local pleasure flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The flight departed Naknek about 1730.
The pilot reported he landed low on the beach, and was continuing to taxi to a spot higher on the shoreline to be above the incoming tide. While taxiing, he made a turn to the right, and the left main landing gear tire struck a 2 foot in diameter rock. The left main landing gear was torn from the fuselage, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2975C
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30875
- Engine
- Continental O-470A, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Timothy L. Wolfe
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 29, 1994 · 106 hours before
- Departed
- 5NK
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 685 total · 640 in this make and model · 685 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.