Cessna 414 accident near Sitka, Alaska, August 28, 1990
On August 28, 1990 at about 8:16 pm local time, a Cessna 414, registered N8180K, was destroyed in an accident near Sitka, Alaska (Sitka airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW IFR PROCEDURES AND MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 1990 · about 8:16 pm local time
- Place
- Sitka, Alaska · Sitka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 414 · all 414s on the register
- Registration
- N8180K · no longer on the register · serial 4140080
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING AND FILED AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM SITKA TO ANCHORAGE, ALASKA. DURING TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 11 AT SITKA, HE PROVIDED A PIREP TO THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION, SAYING THAT HE HAD ENTERED THE CLOUD BASES AT 700 FT MSL. WHILE DEPARTING, A LEFT TURN WAS MADE, AND THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ON MOUNT VERSTOVIA AT THE 1420 FT LEVEL, APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES EAST OF THE AIRPORT. AN ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE STRUCK WOODED TERRAIN WHILE CLIMBING ON A HEADING OF 359 DEG. SEVERAL TREE LIMBS HAD BEEN CLEAN CUT (BY THE PROPELLERS); WRECKAGE WAS SPREAD OVER A 516 FT AREA. A STANDARD INSTRUMENT DEPARTURE (SITKA 5 SID) WAS AVAILABLE WHICH WOULD HAVE PROVIDED TERRAIN CLEARANCE WITH A RIGHT TURN-OUT FROM RUNWAY 11 TO AN INITIAL CLIMB HEADING OF 280 DEG.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,867 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 20, 1990; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SIT Sitka AK at 3:13 pm
- Destination: ANC Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:20 pm from SIT, 3 miles away
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.
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.