Cessna 180J accident near Anchorage, Alaska, May 22, 1989
On May 22, 1989 at about 11:53 pm local time, a Cessna 180J, registered N9949N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Sand Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S POOR JUDGEMENT, AND HIS LACK OF INITIAL TRAINING (NONE) IN SEAPLANE OPERATIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1989 · about 11:53 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Sand Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180J · all 180Js on the register
- Registration
- N9949N · registry record · serial 18052604
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT CERTIFICATED PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF FROM A 3,500' LAKE AT GROSS WEIGHT IN A FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA 180 AIRPLANE. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO BECOME AIRBORNE ON THE FIRST TAKE OFF ATTEMPT. HIS SECOND ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT HE BECAME AIRBORNE LATE IN THE TAKE OFF RUN AND COLLIDED WITH TREES ON THE SHORE LINE, NARROWLY MISSING TWO HOUSES. THE PILOT WAS NOT RATED FOR, AND HAD TAKEN NO FORMAL INSTRUCTION IN, SEAPLANE OPERATIONS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. A LOCAL PILOT/WITNESS SAID THAT HE WATCHED THE TAKE OFF AND SAW WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS OBVIOUSLY POOR TECHNIQUE.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,423 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4,344 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,898 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1988; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 90 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from ANC, 2 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N9949N 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 ANC89FA075.