Cessna 180 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, July 11, 2004
On July 11, 2004, a Cessna 180, registered N3267D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions during cruise flight, which resulted in the airplane impacting the lake. A factor associated with the accident was a downdraft, and low altitude flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2004
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3267D · registry record · serial 32065
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot of the float-equipped airplane reported he took off from a lake, and was going to fly over a cabin at the opposite end to let the occupants know he was departing. He said while cruising across the lake, the airplane encountered a downdraft and impacted the water. He said he was knocked unconscious, and does not remember any details about the accident. He was extricated from the airplane by the passenger, and taken to the shore. The pilot said the airplane rolled over during the accident, and sank to the bottom of the lake. He noted the airplane received airframe structural damage during the accident.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,817 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,666 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,606 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 2003; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,820 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Talkeetna AK at 7:15 pm
- Destination: PANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.