Cessna 180C accident near Anchorage, Alaska, May 4, 1990
On May 4, 1990 at about 4:03 am local time, a Cessna 180C, registered N9339T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska (Lake Hood Strip 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 4, 1990 · about 4:03 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · Lake Hood Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180C · all 180Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9339T · no longer on the register · serial 50839
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE PLANE THEN EXISTED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND WAS DAMAGED.
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; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 793 hours in all; 424 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 624 as pilot in command; 2 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,740 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 3, 1990; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 10:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,500 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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 N9339T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.