Cessna 180 accident near Chugiak, Alaska, August 25, 2009
On August 25, 2009 at about 1:20 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N4601A, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Chugiak, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s delayed use of carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2009 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Chugiak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N4601A · no longer on the register · serial 32199
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that he was approaching his destination airport at the conclusion of a local personal flight. He said that while in cruise flight at 1,200 feet above ground level, the engine began to run rough and lose power. He noticed that the carburetor air temperature was just above the carburetor ice zone marked in red on the gauge, so he applied full carburetor heat, which was followed by a complete loss of engine power. Unable to restart the engine, he selected a marshy tree-covered site as a forced landing area. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings during the forced landing. A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector’s postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence any preimpact mechanical problems. An aviation weather reporting station indicated that the temperature was 57 degrees F, and the dew point was 45 degrees F. When these values are entered into a carburetor icing probability chart, the results are in the "serious icing-cruise power" category. Given the lack of any mechanical anomalies it is likely that the formation of carburetor ice resulted in the loss of engine power.
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 engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › (general) › Not used/operated
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,266 hours in all; 655 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 4,855 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 17, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,824 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 26, 2009; 27 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCV Chugiak AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: BCV Chugiak AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.