Cessna 180 accident near Yakutat, Alaska, September 3, 2016
On September 3, 2016 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1954 Cessna 180, registered N54AF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Yakutat, Alaska. It was a personal 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 inadequate inspection of the off-airport landing area, which resulted in an encounter with standing water and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2016 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Yakutat, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180 UNDESIGNAT, built 1954 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N54AF · registry record · serial 30943
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll on a grass field the airplane encountered standing water and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing, the right wing strut, and the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported as a safety recommendation to conduct a more thorough pre-landing reconnaissance of the intended landing zone.
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
What happened, in order
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,300 hours in all; 990 in this make and model; 68 in the last 90 days; 28.3 in the last 30 days; 14,209 as pilot in command; 572 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 27, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,874.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor 10520ACC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Yakutat AK
- Destination: Yakutat AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 18, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of Mechanic) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.