Cessna 180A accident near Glennallen, Alaska, September 10, 1995
On September 10, 1995 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180A, registered N94259, was destroyed in an accident near Glennallen, Alaska. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable area for takeoff. The water condition with large waves/swells was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 10, 1995 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Glennallen, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180A · all 180As on the register
- Registration
- N94259 · no longer on the register · serial 50032
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a float equipped Cessna 180A, N94259, was departing a remote lake after deplaning 2 hunters. Windy conditions from a nearby glacier produced choppy waves of about 3 to 4 feet high. The wind was estimated to be about 30 knots. During the takeoff run, the airplane floats received several hard impacts from the waves that were washing over the top of the floats. The pilot aborted the takeoff and taxied on the lake, looking for calmer conditions. The left float began to fill with water and the airplane rolled over. The airplane did not sink at that time. The pilot exited the airplane and climbed onto the inverted airplane floats. Later, the pilot of a Bell 206B, N84TA, attempted to rescue the Cessna pilot. While hovering near the downed plane, the helicopter went into a dynamic rollover and crashed, and the Cessna pilot received serious injuries. The Cessna 180 sank after the rescue. (See: ID ANC95TA166 for information concerning the helicopter accident.)
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, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: gyroplane
- Flight time: 29,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-K (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 30 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.