- Date
- August 17, 1997, 17:30 local (Aug 18, 1997, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Arctic Village, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N91412Cessna 180H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 10, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970817025789A
- Case key
- 3046
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 gusty wind conditions. Factors were the gusty wind conditions, and the pilot's misjudging the wind information.
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 airplane was at maximum gross weight and was departing a lake situated at 3,000 feet msl. After takeoff, in variable winds of 15 knots gusting to 25 knots, the pilot began to retract flaps when the airplane had accelerated to 75 mph. The pilot stated the airspeed dropped to 40 mph, the airplane stalled at about 50-60 feet agl, and descended into the water.
Factual narrative
On August 17, 1997, at 1730 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180H float equipped airplane, N91412, was destroyed when it impacted water during takeoff from Index Lake, 32 miles northeast of Arctic Village, Alaska, at position 68-19 degrees north latitude, 144-15 degrees west longitude. The private certificated pilot and single passenger were uninjured. The airplane was owned and operated by Merle D. Jantz of North Pole, Alaska, as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an extended flight plan was on file with the FAA Fairbanks Flight Service Station.
Winds were reported by the pilot as variable from northwest to northeast, and gusting to 25 knots. The aircraft weight according to the pilot was 2,947 pounds. The maximum allowable takeoff weight is 2,950 pounds.
The pilot stated to an FAA inspector, and in his NTSB Pilot-Operator Report, that after taking off in a northeast direction from the 5,000 foot long lake, the airspeed reached 75 mph. He indicated that he believes the wind shifted, and as he retracted the flaps the airspeed dropped to 40 mph, and the right wing stalled. He reported the airplane was at 50-60 feet agl when the stall occurred. He was unable to recover from the stall, and the airplane impacted the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91412
- Reported as
- Cessna 180H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 180-52075
- Airframe hours
- 1,976
- Engine
- Continental O-470-R-25, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Merle Duane Jantz
- Registered owner
- Richard A. Levine
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 8, 1997 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- Index Lake, AK
- Destination
- FAI · Fairbanks, 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 692 total · 303 in this make and model · 607 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- 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.