- Date
- April 21, 1997, 14:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Soldotna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N64337Cessna 180K
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970421006309A
- Case key
- 2993
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 compensation for cross conditions and failure to maintain directional control of the airplane. A factor relating to the accident was: the variable/gusty/crosswind condition.
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 landing a tailwheel equipped airplane on a hard surface runway. The airplane was equipped with 26 inch tundra tires. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. The pilot applied right rudder, and right brake, but the airplane continued to veer to the left, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane then nosed over. The airport's automated weather observation system was reporting the wind conditions as 010 degrees at 7 knots. Following the accident, the pilot reported the wind conditions varied widely between 030 to 300 degrees, with wind gusts to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 21, 1997, about 1440 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Cessna 180K, N64337, crashed during landing at the Soldotna Airport, Soldotna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area proficiency flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by Clearwater Air Inc., Soldotna, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Soldotna Airport, at 1437.
On April 22, 1997, at 1330, the pilot reported in a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), that he was landing on runway 07. The pilot was maintaining his flight proficiency. The airplane is equipped with 26 inch tundra tires. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left. He applied right rudder, and right brake application, but the airplane continued to veer to the left, and the right wing struck the ground. The airplane then nosed over. The airplane received damage to the vertical stabilizer, the left wing lift strut, and the right wing.
The pilot indicated the weather conditions, as reported by the Soldotna, Alaska, automated weather observation system (AWOS) were: wind, 010 degrees at 7 knots; visibility, 40 statute miles; clear skies; temperature, 45 degrees F. Following the accident, the pilot reported the wind conditions varied widely between 030 to 300 degrees, with wind gusts to 15 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N64337
- Reported as
- Cessna 180K
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18052891
- Airframe hours
- 4,715
- Engine
- Continental O-520-KAH, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Clearwater Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 6, 1996 · 66 hours before
- Departed
- SXQ
- Airport
- SXQ · Soldotna, runway 7, 4,973 × 130 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °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 N64337 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.