Cessna 180 accident near N. Cordova, Alaska, May 23, 1982
On May 23, 1982 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N9043M, was destroyed in an accident near N. Cordova, Alaska (Katalla Beach airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. 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
- May 23, 1982 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- N. Cordova, Alaska · Katalla Beach
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9043M · no longer on the register · serial 18052143
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES STATED THAT THE PILOT WAS LANDING DIAGONALLY TO KATALLA BEACH INTO A STRONG HEADWIND. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE LEFT WING LIFTED UP AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A GENTLE TURN TO THE RIGHT. WITNESSES HEARD THE ENGINE POWER INCREASE AND OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTING A GO AROUND. THE MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK TWO WAVES AND NOSED INTO THE WATER. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE WIND WAS BLOWING STEADY AT ABOUT 10 MPH WITH OCCASIONAL HIGHER GUSTS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 120 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,050 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Valdez AK at 5:30 am
- Destination: Valdez AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots
- Visibility: 22 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 122°F (50°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.