- Date
- September 3, 1995, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Igiugig, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N5293DCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 6, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950903027719A
- Case key
- 2730
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 inadequate preflight planning/preparation to assure the airplane would maintain adequate altitude/clearance from the river bank during takeoff.
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 and three passengers were departing from the mouth of a river in a float equipped airplane, to return the passengers to a fishing lodge. During the takeoff, the airplane became airborne, but struck the edge of a 7 foot high river bank. The airplane slid over the bank and down toward an ocean beach, then nosed over. It received damage to the floats, wings, fuselage, and vertical stabilizer.
Factual narrative
On September 3, 1995, about 1300 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 180, N5293D, crashed during takeoff from a remote river, about 75 miles southeast of Igiugig, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country business/fish guiding flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by Kvichak Lodge, Igiugig, sustained substantial damage. The certificated private pilot and 3 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
The pilot reported that he was departing from the mouth of the Big River on the Alaska peninsula in the Katmai National Park. During the takeoff, the airplane became airborne but struck the edge of a 7 foot high river bank. The airplane slid over the bank and down toward an ocean beach and then nosed over. The airplane received damage to the floats, wings, fuselage, and vertical stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5293D
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 50191
- Airframe hours
- 6,880
- Engine
- Continental O-470-K, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Kvichak Lodge
- Registered owner
- Mike Mcdowell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 8, 1995 · 50 hours before
- Destination
- IGG · AK
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 500 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- 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 N5293D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.