Cessna 180 accident near Northway, Alaska, June 20, 1985
On June 20, 1985 at about 2:55 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N5159E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Northway, Alaska (Northway 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 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 1985 · about 2:55 am local time
- Place
- Northway, Alaska · Northway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N5159E · registry record · serial 50459
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE PLT LANDED THE TAIL WHEEL EQUIPPED ACFT ON RWY 22 WITH A X-WIND FROM 290 DEG AT 8 KTS. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT ENTERED A GROUND LOOP & WAS DAMAGED. A CHECK OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.249%.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 18,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 150 in the last 30 days; 18,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JNU Juneau AK at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 22, 5,130 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from ORT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N5159E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC85LA098.