Cessna 180 accident near Anchorage, Alaska, September 2, 1989
On September 2, 1989 at about 6:57 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N2137Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (O'Malley airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
OIL LEAK IN THE OIL COOLER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: OIL FILM ON THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH OBSCURED THE PILOT'S VISION (VISUAL PERCEPTION) AND HAMPERED HIS ABILITY TO ATTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT, AN OBJECT (ROCK), AND HIGH VEGETATION BESIDE THE AIRSTRIP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 2, 1989 · about 6:57 pm local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · O'Malley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2137Z · registry record · serial 18051237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON A TEST FLT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPN WAS COMPLETED. DRG FLT, AN OIL FILM APPEARED ON THE WINDSHIELD, SO HE TURNED BACK TO LAND AT THE DEPARTURE ARPT (MERRILL FIELD). BEFORE REACHING MERRILL FIELD, THE OIL FILM BECAME HEAVY & OIL PRESSURE BEGAN DROPPING. THE PLT ELECTED TO LAND AT A PVT AIRSTRIP. DRG THE APCH, HE SLIPPED THE ACFT FOR VISIBILITY. HE SAID HE MADE A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN, BUT DRG THE LANDING, THE ACFT DRIFTED TO THE LEFT, HIT A ROCK & SOME HIGH VEGETATION, THEN NOSED DOWN. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THERE WAS A SMALL LEAK IN THE ENG OIL COOLER.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,512 hours in all; 970 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 2,394 as pilot in command; 230 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 1,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 ANC89FA155.