- Date
- July 12, 1995, 18:00 local (Jul 13, 1995, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N63336Cessna 180K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 27, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950712022759A
- Case key
- 2684
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
Failure of the pilot to adequately compensate for wind conditions, which resulted in a failure to maintain directional control. The downdraft and crosswind were related factors.
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 that during an approach to land, the floatplane encountered a microburst (downdraft) and made a hard landing on the water. She elected to abort the landing. She stated that during the ensuing takeoff run, while still on the water, the wind forced the floatplane to the left toward the shoreline, despite her attempts to correct back to the right. Subsequently, the aircraft contacted rocks near the shoreline and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On July 12, 1995, about 1800 Alaska daylight time, N63336, a Cessna 180K floatplane, operated by the owner/pilot, sustained substantial damage during takeoff when it collided with the shore of Naknek Lake near Naknek, Alaska. The private pilot and the pilot-rated passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan was filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91. The ELT actuated and aided in location of the accident.
According to the pilot-in-command, the airplane encountered a "microburst" about 50 feet above the water during the approach to landing. The airplane landed hard on the lake, and the pilot decided to perform an aborted landing. She stated that during the takeoff run, while the airplane was still on the water, a strong wind was forcing the airplane to the left despite her attempts to correct to the right. She said the airplane was forced into the shore. The floats struck rocks near the shore and the airplane nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63336
- Reported as
- Cessna 180K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052841
- Airframe hours
- 1,351
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sherwood, Robert V.B.
- Registered owner
- R. V. B & E. E. Sherwood
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 99Z · Finger Lake, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 325 total · 270 in this make and model · 325 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °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 N63336 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.