Cessna 182 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, May 30, 2020
On May 30, 2020 at about 2:30 am local time, a 1960 Cessna 182, registered N8769T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Anchorage, 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 failure to maintain a proper descent rate during landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 2020 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 C, built 1960 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N8769T · registry record · serial 52669
- 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, while landing into the wind at a remote airstrip, as the airplane descended below the tree line, the airplane experienced “wind shear or turbulence” and the headwind diminished. The airplane lost aerodynamic lift, descended rapidly to the ground, and subsequently landed hard. The engine firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also reported that the winds in the area were 25 knots gusting to 30 knots.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 310 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 295 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 2, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,348 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAGQ Big Lake AK at 2:00 am
- Destination: none Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 3, 2021. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photogaphs | PDF, 2 pages | 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.