Cessna 180K accident near Cold Bay, Alaska, October 7, 1995
On October 7, 1995 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 180K, registered N64337, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cold Bay, 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/terrain for landing. The submerged sandbar 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
- October 7, 1995 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cold Bay, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180K · all 180Ks on the register
- Registration
- N64337 · registry record · serial 18052891
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was positioning the float-equipped airplane in support of hunting clients. He circled a lagoon to assess the wind and water conditions. After landing, as the airplane was slowing off the step, the floats struck a submerged sand bar. The airplane nosed over but remained floating upside down. The pilot reported that overcast skies and the color of the lagoon bottom prevented him from seeing the sandbar.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 225 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,470 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 28, 1995; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,190 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Port Moller AK at 1:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 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.
Other NTSB records under N64337 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.