Cessna 180 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, March 23, 2008
On March 23, 2008 at about 4:00 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N180JP, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Fairbanks, Alaska (Chena Hot Springs airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and inadequate compensation for wind conditions during a go-around. Contributing to the accident were wind gusts and a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2008 · about 4:00 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Chena Hot Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N180JP · registry record · serial 31630
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the wheel-ski equipped airplane related that he was attempting to land to the east with a variable wind, gusting from 15 to 35 knots. He elected to do a go-around as he approached touchdown due to a strong gust of wind from the south which altered the desired landing path. During the go-around, the pilot said the airplane's left main landing gear struck a parked and unoccupied truck on the side of the runway. The impact knocked the left main landing gear out of the gear box, and when the airplane landed, the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing lift strut. The pilot indicated that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Crosswind correction › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 319 hours in all; 181 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 252 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z41 Anchorage AK
- Destination: Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 080, 3,500 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: at 15 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC08CA044.