Cessna 180 accident near Owinza, Idaho, October 13, 2024
On October 13, 2024 at about 5:40 pm local time, a 1955 Cessna 180, registered N9493C, was involved in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Owinza, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water during a low pass over a lake.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 13, 2024 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Owinza, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180, built 1955 · all 180s on the register
- Registration
- N9493C · registry record · serial 31891
- Damage
- Damage not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he descended to make a low pass over Pettit Lake. He noted that the clear weather condition with no wind impacted his depth perception as the lake surface appeared glassy. During the low pass over the water, the pilot misjudged his altitude above the lake, and the airplanes main landing gear contacted the water. The airplane then bounced and impacted the water a second time before it came to rest and sank. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that could have precluded normal operation. The airplane was not recovered.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Perception › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Glassy surface › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,400 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 25, 2024
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,415.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 9, 2023
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R(74) (piston); 5,199 hours total
- Operator: Blue Thunder LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SUN Hailey ID at 3:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KSUN, 33 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSUN 131755Z 21003KT 10SM CLR 20/M01 A3027=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR25LA036.