Cessna 180 accident near Big Lake, Alaska, October 5, 2024
On October 5, 2024 at about 1:30 am local time, a 1963 Cessna 180, registered N4631U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Big Lake, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2024 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1963 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N4631U · registry record · serial 18051331
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 4, 2024, about 1730 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 180 airplane, N4631U, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Big Lake, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured, and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight. According to the passenger, the airplane was departing from East Butterfly Lake, near Big Lake for a return flight to the Lake Hood Seaplane Base (LHD), Anchorage, Alaska. The passenger reported that just before starting their northerly takeoff run, strong, gusty, variable wind conditions prevailed. During takeoff from the lake, as the airplane passed low over an area of tree-covered terrain, a sudden gust of wind pushed the airplane towards the trees. The airplane’s right wing subsequently collided with a stand of tall trees, and the airplane came to rest inverted in the lake, partially submerged (See figure 1). Figure 1. Accident airplane, N4631U, at the accident site. (Alaska State Trooper Photo) A detailed wreckage examination is pending after the airplane is recovered from the waters of East Butterfly Lake.
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 unknown defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Destination: LHD Anchorage AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.07 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from PAWS, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAWS 050156Z AUTO 09015G28KT 10SM CLR 09/00 A2907 RMK AO2 PK WND 10031/0119 SLP845 T00940000
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 N4631U 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.