Cessna 180 N180RJ

Summary

On 21 April 2021 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna 180 registered N180RJ, operated by Kindred David M, was involved in an accident near Tyonek, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 April 2021 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Tyonek, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.3063, -154.5899

Aircraft

Cessna 180

Registration

N180RJ

Category

Airplane

Year built

1956

Engines

1

Operator

Kindred David M

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Soldotna → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC21LA032

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s loss of directional control while dragging the surface of an ice- and snow-covered lake in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in an impact with a tree.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, he was dragging the surface of an ice- and snow-covered lake in his wheel and ski- equipped airplane near the shoreline to determine the snow conditions. Subsequently, a gust of wind pushed the airplane into a tree located on a spit of land. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot stated that the accident may have been prevented if he had done a better job of evaluating the conditions from the air or conducted operations directly into the wind.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.