Cessna 180 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, July 5, 2020
On July 5, 2020 at about 7:15 pm local time, a 1960 Cessna 180, registered N9185T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood airport). 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 failure of the left float bottom due to corrosion, which resulted in a loss of control during the water landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2020 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1960 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9185T · registry record · serial 50685
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, and corroborated by video capturing the accident, during a normal touchdown in a float-equipped airplane, the left float dug into the water and the airplane veered abruptly and nosed over. A postaccident examination revealed a large hole in the bottom of the left float just forward of the step. Corrosion was present around the hole and no impact signatures were present on the bottom of the float. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with a loss of control during the water landing due to the failure of the left float due to corrosion.
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
- 551230 during descent - normal
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Wheel/ski/float › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, none, none, none
- Flight time: 1,500 hours in all; 1,441 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: basicmed
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,608 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, July 30, 2019
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 5,608 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: LHD Anchorage AK
- Destination: LHD Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scattered at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°C, dew point 52°C
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LHD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 ANC20LA065.