# NTSB ANC97LA116: Cessna 180, N9044M, Port Ashton, AK, August 3, 1997

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: August 2, 1997, 16:00 local (Aug 3, 1997, 00:00 UTC)
- Place: Port Ashton, AK
- Coordinates: 55.919166, -159.48941 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=55.9192&lon=-159.4894&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report November 10, 1998
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- NTSB case key (mKey): 3039
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC97LA116
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/3039/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA116

## Probable cause

The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain.  Factors associated with the accident were the tailwind and soft terrain.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Nose over, taxi - from landing
  - weather condition - tailwind (contributing factor)
  - terrain condition - soft (contributing factor)
  - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - selected, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

After landing on a beach, the pilot turned downwind to taxi.  The airplane's wheels contacted soft sand, and the airplane nosed over.

## Factual narrative

On August 2, 1997, at 1600 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180 tailwheel equipped airplane, N9044M, sustained substantial damage when it nosed over in soft sand while taxiing from landing at Patton Bay, Montague Island, about 19 miles east of Port Ashton, Alaska, at position 59-55.0 degrees north latitude, 147-30.0 degrees west longitude.  The airline transport certificated pilot and single passenger were uninjured.  The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight from Palmer to Montague Island, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.

The pilot stated that after landing on the beach, he turned to taxi up the beach with a quartering tailwind.  The wheels contacted soft sand and the airplane nosed over, damaging the propeller and aft wing spars.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N9044M](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9044M), registered now, S/N 18052144, built 1970 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 180
- Registry model: [Cessna 180H](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-180h) (registry code 2072618) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 180-52144
- Airframe hours: 3330
- Engines: Continental O-470-50 265 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Dale B. Olsen
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, April 25, 1997, 45 hours before
- Departed: PAQ, PALMER, AK
- Flight plan: VFR

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 52; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 17,000 total, 930 in this make and model, 10,000 as pilot in command, 106 in the last 90 days, 71 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 230° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 50 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19970802025819A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970802025819A), Aug 2, 1997: Cessna 180H, Port Ashton, AK, Substantial damage. (.4) After landing on a beach, the pilot turned downwind to taxi. The airplane's wheels contacted soft sand, and the airplane nosed over.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.