Cessna 180 accident near Shaktoolik, Alaska, May 21, 1997
On May 21, 1997 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180, registered N24EJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Shaktoolik, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1997 · about 5:30 pm local time · cases in 1997
- Place
- Shaktoolik, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N24EJ · registry record · serial 30593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting fish spotting flights in a remote area. He was circling to the left about 600 feet above the water when the engine coughed several times and then lost power. The pilot switched fuel tanks several times, but the engine did not restart. He landed (ditched) the airplane in the water about 50 yards from the beach. After touchdown, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported the left fuel tank was indicating 1/3 and the right tank was near empty. After recovery, the left tank contained 15 gallons of fuel, and the right tank contained 5 gallons of fuel. The pilot estimated he still had 1 and 1/2 hours of fuel on board, and had operated the airplane with the fuel selector in the 'BOTH' position. The airplane's engine had accrued about 30 hours since being overhauled. An examination of the engine did not reveal any mechanical malfunction.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,034 hours in all; 248 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 1,961 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,142 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 1996; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,660 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 38A at 12:19 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,000 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N24EJ on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 180 Skywagon 2,604 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental O-470-J 6 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 823 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,144 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC97LA077.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.