History of Flight
On August 22, 2015, at approximately 2020 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel-equipped Cessna 180 airplane, registration N3043E, sustained substantial damage after impacting terrain while maneuvering at low level about 5 miles southwest of Kasilof, Alaska. The private pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Witness Statements
A witness, an airframe and powerplant mechanic, reported observing the accident airplane operating at low level over the beach along the Turnagain Arm waterway. He estimated the airplane’s altitude at about 20 feet above ground level (agl) with a loud engine sound. As the airplane passed directly in front of him, it pitched up to about 45 degrees and climbed to approximately 300 feet agl, about 100 feet above nearby trees. After the nose lowered to a level pitch attitude, he heard a reduction in engine power followed by a sound consistent with an engine misfiring. The airplane disappeared from view, and the engine noise ceased. An impact sound was heard immediately afterward. The witness approached the site, about 0.1 miles away, and found a post-impact fire consuming the wreckage; ammunition was heard exploding. A second witness, who could not see the airplane, reported hearing an aircraft overhead making noises consistent with an engine sputtering. A third witness observed the airplane flying down the coastline in a southwesterly direction and heard a sound consistent with an abrupt increase in engine power just before the impact.
Personnel and Aircraft Information
The pilot, aged 69, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single engine land rating. His most recent third-class medical certificate was issued on May 23, 2013, with the limitation that he must have glasses for near vision; it expired on May 31, 2015. Based on FAA records, his total aeronautical experience was approximately 1,678 hours, with 20 hours in the previous six months as of May 2013. No personal logbooks were located.
The airplane was a Cessna 180 manufactured in 1954, equipped with a Continental Motors O-470 series engine. The tachometer at the last annual inspection on December 15, 2014, read 4,526.6 hours, and total time in service was 8,231.5 hours.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather reporting facility was Soldotna Airport, about 15 miles northeast of the accident site. At 2016, an aviation routine weather report (METAR) reported wind from 290 degrees at 8 knots, clear sky, visibility 10 statute miles, and an altimeter setting of 29.85 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact
The wreckage was located in densely populated spruce and birch trees at an elevation of about 45 feet mean sea level. The debris path was oriented along a magnetic heading of 037 degrees, with the airplane facing 217 degrees. The initial impact point was marked by broken limbs atop an estimated 50-foot-tall birch tree, about 25 feet from the main wreckage. A post-crash fire consumed the fuselage from the firewall aft to just beyond fuselage station 172.0. The left wing exhibited extensive thermal damage and aft crushing from wing station 23.62 outboard to WS 100.5. The right wing was partially consumed by fire but remained attached via the wing strut, with aft crushing from WS 100.5 to WS 154.0. The vertical stabilizer and rudder remained attached, showing thermal damage. The left and right horizontal stabilizers and elevators were also attached with thermal damage. The engine remained attached to the firewall; the #1 rocker cover had a 3-inch hole with metal fragments inside. The propeller and hub were attached; one blade had slight aft bending and a gouge on the trailing edge. Both blades were relatively free of chordwise scratches. The propeller spinner was found in two pieces about 15 feet from the main wreckage. Flight control continuity was confirmed for aileron, rudder, and lower elevator cables; the upper elevator cable exhibited multiple separations determined to be overstress fractures. The elevator trim actuator was extended about 7.7 inches, corresponding to about 5 degrees nose-down trim.
Medical and Toxicology
A postmortem examination attributed the cause of death to multiple blunt force injuries. The autopsy identified dilated cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease: 40% narrowing of the left circumflex artery and 80% narrowing of the proximal left anterior descending and right coronary arteries. No evidence of pilot impairment during or after the abrupt maneuver was found. Toxicology testing detected tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in blood at 0.0031 ug/ml and its metabolite in liver at 0.856 ug/g. The THC level was below the calibration curve of 1 ng/ml.
Engine Examination
On October 21, 2015, an engine examination was conducted by Continental Motors under NTSB supervision. After replacing impact- and thermal-damaged components, the engine was started normally without hesitation. It was run through a warm-up and then at full power for 5 minutes, accelerating normally and producing rated horsepower. Magnetos were checked: left magneto drop of 93 rpm, right magneto drop of 95 rpm.