Cessna 180B accident near Kodiak, Alaska, February 22, 2010
On February 22, 2010 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180B, registered N5074E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Kodiak, Alaska. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, and his excessive use of brakes during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2010 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kodiak, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180B · all 180Bs on the register
- Registration
- N5074E · registry record · serial 50374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, local flight. The pilot said he departed the airport to warm up the airplane's engine, and experienced carburetor ice. He said he elected to make a precautionary landing on a sandbar to check the airplane's engine. The pilot indicated the sandbar was rougher than he anticipated, and that he applied excessive brakes during the landing roll, and the airplane nosed over. In a written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board, the pilot wrote, "Better pilot evaluation of the landing zone, less braking, or more weight in the back of the aircraft could have prevented the accident." He said there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. He said the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the rudder, vertical stabilizer, and the right lift strut.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,194 hours in all; 127 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 2,084 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 5, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,220 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 29, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAKD Kodiak AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: PAKD Kodiak AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,100 ft; a few clouds at 700 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from ADQ, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.