Cessna 180F accident near Yukon River, Alaska, April 4, 1991
On April 4, 1991 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180F, registered N2117Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Yukon River, 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
A CARBURETOR FUEL LEAK DUE TO INADEQUATE ANNUAL INSPECTION. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 1991 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Yukon River, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180F · all 180Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2117Z · registry record · serial 18051217
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE BEGAN BACKFIRING AND WOULD ONLY PRODUCE IDLE POWER. HE WAS FORCED TO LAND ON THE FROZEN YOKON RIVER AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CARBURETOR FLOAT BOWL DRAIN PLUG WAS NOT INSTALLED AND COULD NOT BE LOCATED. THE AIRPLANE HAD RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ONLY 1.5 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME EARLIER.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 40,000 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 28,000 as pilot in command; 1,800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 8, 1991; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 6:40 pm
- Destination: RMP Rampart AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 19°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 N2117Z 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.