Cessna 180 accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska, August 1, 1993
On August 1, 1993 at about 2:05 am local time, a Cessna 180, registered N3680C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska (Sparrevohn Lrrs 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'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR WAS THE ANIMAL ON THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 1, 1993 · about 2:05 am local time
- Place
- Sparrevohn, Alaska · Sparrevohn Lrrs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N3680C · registry record · serial 31179
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
JUST AS THE AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT TO TOUCH DOWN A CARIBOU APPEARED ON THE RUNWAY, IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT BALLOONED THE AIRPLANE OVER THE CARIBOU THEN TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. HE THEN LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND GROUND LOOPED THE AIRPLANE, CAUSING THE LEFT WING AND TAIL TO HIT THE GROUND. THE PILOT HAD ABORTED HIS FIRST APPROACH BECAUSE OF A CARIBOU ON THE RUNWAY.
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, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,748 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 3,476 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,114 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1993; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EDF Elmendorf Afb AK at 7:07 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 34, 4,100 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 12 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:05 pm from SVW, 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.
Other NTSB records under N3680C 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.