- Date
- September 4, 2017, 16:00 local (Sep 5, 2017, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ambler, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8249VCessna 180
- Defining event
- Landing: Landing area undershoot
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 27, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170904020709A
- Case key
- 95962
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 failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath to an off-airport landing site.
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 tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on an off-airport gravel bar, the airplane touched down about 30 ft short of the intended landing area. Subsequently, the right wheel struck a large rock, the gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. 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 tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing on an off-airport gravel bar, the airplane touched down about 30 ft. short of the intended landing area. Subsequently, the right wheel struck a large rock, the gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8249V
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (H)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18051751
- Built
- 1966
- Airframe hours
- 4,215.81
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 8, 2017
- Departed
- OBU · Kobuk, AK
- Destination
- Ambler, AK
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather
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
- 77
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 23, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFM, 51 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB 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.