Cessna 180H accident near Ketchikan, Alaska, May 19, 1993
On May 19, 1993 at about 10:07 pm local time, a Cessna 180H, registered N8237V, was destroyed in an accident near Ketchikan, 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
THE PILOT IN COMMANDS IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND CONDITION. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE UNFAVORABLE WIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 1993 · about 10:07 pm local time
- Place
- Ketchikan, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N8237V · no longer on the register · serial 18051739
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT IN COMMAND REPORTED THAT WHILE IN A CLIMBING RIGHT TURN AT 400 FEET MSL HE ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE DOWNDRAFT WHICH HE COULD NOT ARREST DESPITE THE APPLICATION OF FULL POWER. A COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO DEPARTED ALONG THE SAME ROUTE AS THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT 15 MINUTES AFTER THE OCCURRENCE REPORTED THAT THE AIR WAS STABLE AND THAT NO DOWNDRAFTS WERE ENCOUNTERED. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE FLIGHT SERVICE STATION (FSS) IN KETCHIKAN DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PILOT REPORTS OF SEVERE DOWNDRAFTS IN THE KETCHIKAN BAY AREA.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 2,100 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 22, 1992; 161 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,870 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5KE at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Lake Mcdonald AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 33 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 pm from KTN, 1 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.