Cessna 180 accident near Mccarthy, Alaska, July 28, 2001
On July 28, 2001 at about 10:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N7275P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mccarthy, Alaska (Horsfeld airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor associated with the accident was a sudden wind shift.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2001 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mccarthy, Alaska · Horsfeld · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N7275P · no longer on the register · serial 18051677
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated commerical pilot reported that during the takeoff roll, just before the airplane reached flying speed, a sudden gust of wind pushed the airplane to the left. The pilot stated that he tried to abort the takeoff, but was unable to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the airstrip. The airplane rolled to the end of the airstrip, down an embankment, and collided with brush. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 10,000 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 5, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 19, 2001; 120 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MXY Mccarthy AK at 5:30 pm
- Destination: CZN Chisana AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 1,000 ft by 25 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.