Cessna 180 accident near Nenana, Alaska, February 11, 2018
On February 11, 2018 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1953 Cessna 180, registered N2347C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Nenana, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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 failure to maintain an adequate approach path to an unimproved airstrip, which resulted in a hard landing short of the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 2018 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nenana, 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 1953 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N2347C · no longer on the register · serial 30647
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel- and ski-equipped airplane reported that, while landing on an unimproved, snow-covered airstrip, the airplane landed hard and short of the airstrip due to wind shear and wind gusts. The airplane slid on its right side and came to rest on the right wing and right horizontal stabilizer. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind condition was light and variable at 5 knots and was not gusting.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Landing area undershoot during landing
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 27, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,395 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 22, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 3,518 hours total
- Operator: Mallen Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: ENN Nenana AK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Nenana AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,200 ft
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PACL, 37 miles away
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 March 30, 2018. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | 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.
Other NTSB records under N2347C 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.