Cessna 180 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, April 10, 2005
On April 10, 2005 at about 9:26 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9028C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Merrill Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop. A factor contributing to the accident was a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 10, 2005 · about 9:26 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Merrill Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9028C · registry record · serial 31076
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was landing on runway 06 when the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot applied left rudder without success, and then applied the brakes, but could not prevent the airplane from ground looping to the right. The left wingtip, and the outboard end of the left elevator struck the ground, receiving structural damage. At the time of the accident, the weather surface observation at the airport was reporting the wind as 240 degrees (true) at 5 knots.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 320 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 06
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.59 inHg
- Observation at 4:26 pm from PAMR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC05CA057.