- Date
- February 17, 2018, 12:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Big Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N2934ACessna 180
- Defining event
- Taxi: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180217003529A
- Case key
- 96775
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 selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which led to both skis breaking through the ice while positioning the airplane after landing.
Findings · 4
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 reported that, after landing on a snow-covered, off-airport landing site, he was positioning the airplane for parking. He added that the left ski broke through the ice, followed by the right ski. He reported that he had not seen the area of "soft/thin" ice before taxiing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. 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 reported that, after landing on a snow covered, off airport landing site, he was repositioning the airplane for parking. He added that the left ski broke through the ice, followed by the right ski. He reported that he had not seen the area of "soft/thin" ice before taxiing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2934A
- Reported as
- Cessna 180 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 30134
- Built
- 1953
- Airframe hours
- 3,078.6
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470-A, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 2017
- Departed
- LHD · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- Big Lake, AK
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Handheld GPS, 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 12, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 5,344 total · 2,172 in this make and model · 5,258 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 16 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.73 inHg
- Observed at
- PANC, 27 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 5, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 555 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.
Other investigations on N2934A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.