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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1997 · about 5:30 pm local time
- 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 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC97LA077.