Cessna 180H accident near Figure 8 Lake, Alaska, September 7, 1988
On September 7, 1988 at about 4:15 am local time, a Cessna 180H, registered N2483F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Figure 8 Lake, Alaska. 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).
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
- September 7, 1988 · about 4:15 am local time
- Place
- Figure 8 Lake, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N2483F · registry record · serial 18051685
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED FOLLOWING A FORCED LANDING ON A SURVEY TRAIL. THE PILOT RELATED THAT THE AIRPLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL, AND NOSED-OVER DURING THE LANDING ROLL ON THE SOFT SOIL. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT VISUALLY INSPECT THE AIRPLANE'S FUEL TANKS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, BUT THOUGHT HE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT LOOKING FOR MOOSE. A REVEIW OF THE PILOT'S RECORDS SHOW THAT HIS LAST FAA MEDICAL CERTIFICATE HAD EXPIRED SIX YEARS PRIOR TO THE FLIGHT, AND THAT HE HAD NOT ACCOMPLISHED A BIENNIAL FLIGHT REVIEW WITHIN THE PROCEEDING 24 MONTHS.
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: 1,400 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Z41 Anchorage AK at 9:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N2483F 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 ANC88LA128.