Cessna 180 accident near Homer, Alaska, August 22, 2015
On August 22, 2015 at about 6:15 pm local time, a 1957 Cessna 180, registered N9588B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Homer, Alaska (Homer airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control during landing, resulting in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2015 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Homer, Alaska · Homer · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1957 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9588B · registry record · serial 32885
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing to the south on a beach in his tailwheel-equipped Cessna 180 airplane. The pilot stated the wind was gusting about 35 knots across the beach. At the end of the landing rollout, the right tire impacted a sand drift and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The airplane entered a ground loop, sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,600 hours in all; 5,600 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,026 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-520 SERIES (piston); 575 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LHD Anchorage AK
- Destination: HOM Homer AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.71 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N9588B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.