Cessna 180A accident near Mcgrath, Alaska, September 14, 2011
On September 14, 2011 at about 5:30 am local time, a Cessna 180A, registered N7814A, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Mcgrath, Alaska. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of control when encountering a downdraft during the initial climb after takeoff, resulting in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 14, 2011 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Mcgrath, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- N7814A · registry record · serial 32711
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was taking off from a sandbar when the airplane encountered a downdraft. The left landing gear subsequently struck the riverbank and was sheared off. The left wing then contacted the ground and the airplane slid to a stop on its fuselage, receiving substantial damage to the left wing, fuselage and tail section.
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 initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,774 hours in all; 1,489 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 1,774 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 11, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,513 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 27, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Mcgrath AK
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N7814A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC11CA098.