- Date
- August 3, 2017, 19:50 local (Aug 4, 2017, 03:50 UTC)
- Place
- Willow, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5236DCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170803012749A
- Case key
- 95769
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 improper landing flare while landing on water with glassy water conditions, which resulted in the airplane nosing over.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, after observing what he thought were ripples on the water, the airplane touched down sooner than he had expected. Subsequently, the left float skipped on the water, the right float's toe contacted the water, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported that, during landing, after observing what he thought were ripples on the water, the airplane touched down sooner than he had expected. Subsequently, the left float skipped on the water, the toe of the right float contacted the water, and the airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the fuselage and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5236D
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 50134
- Built
- 1958
- Airframe hours
- 4,000
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2016
- Departed
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Willow, AK
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,100 total · 350 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.29 inHg
- Observed at
- PAWS, 16 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 931 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.