Cessna 180 accident near Haines, Alaska, November 4, 2015
On November 4, 2015 at about 10:45 pm local time, a 1963 Cessna 180, registered N4611U, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Haines, Alaska (Haines airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence and the pilot’s decision to continue the flight after realizing the remaining fuel quantity was near 0.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 4, 2015 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Haines, Alaska · Haines · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1963 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N4611U · no longer on the register · serial 18051311
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot departed for the personal cross-country flight in the wheel-equipped, single-engine airplane over an area of inland fjords, coastal waterways, and steep mountainous terrain. The pilot estimated that the fuel quantity at departure was about 53 gallons, which should have been sufficient fuel for about 4 hours 40 minutes of flight; the flight was expected to be 1 hour long. The pilot stated that the fuel quantity gauges showed about 48 gallons remaining at departure. However, shortly after takeoff and while en route, both fuel gauges dropped to 0, but the pilot chose to continue to his destination. As the flight neared the destination airport, the engine lost total power, and the pilot's attempts to restore power using the emergency engine restart procedures failed. The pilot was subsequently forced to ditch the airplane in the ocean, and the four occupants swam to shore. The airplane later sank in deep ocean water and was not recovered. Given the pilot's statement about the fuel on board at departure, it is likely that that the fuel system was compromised forward of the firewall. However, because the airplane could not be examined, the reason for the fuel exhaustion could not be determined.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Ditching during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 158 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 101 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 23, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,464 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 11, 2015; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 5,181 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JNU Juneau AK
- Destination: HNS Haines AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from PAHN, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Fueling Station Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Juneau Aeroservices Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.