Cessna 180 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, June 15, 2020
On June 15, 2020 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1955 Cessna 180, registered N3186D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to utilize carburetor heat while flying in conditions conducive carburetor to icing, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2020 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1955 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3186D · registry record · serial 31984
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During landing, while at about 1,200 ft above ground level, the airplane’s engine lost all power. Subsequently, the airplane landed short of the lake on the land and came to rest nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. An FAA postaccident examination revealed that about 15.5 gallons of clean blue fuel was drained from the airplane, and that there was fuel in the firewall drain sump. It was noted that two small “pearls” of water were observed in the fuel collection cup. A picture supplied of the airplane after the accident showed that the carburetor heat was found not applied. The engine was test run and revealed no mechanical failure or malfunctions. The pilot reported that he did not recall if he had applied carburetor heat during the approach to land prior to the loss of engine power. The temperature and dew point were entered into a carburetor icing probability chart, which coincided with the "serious icing-glide power" category.
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 engine power (total) during landing defining event
- Landing area undershoot during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 1,501 hours in all; 144 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 1,501 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 21, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,480.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 12, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-520 (piston); 488 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Twin Lakes AK at 5:00 pm
- Runway Floa, 5,400 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 am from PAFA, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3186D 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.