Event ANC05LA086

Factual narrative

On May 29, 2005, about 1650 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180 airplane, N4533B, sustained substantial damage when it ground-looped during the landing roll at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) local personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The solo commercial certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on June 1, the pilot said he was cleared to land by the tower on runway 24. According to a tower controller, who reviewed the control tower audio tape, the on-duty controller advised the pilot "cleared to land runway 24, wind 120 at 5." The pilot said he used full flaps, and that he felt the wind speed was higher and more of a crosswind than reported by the tower. No special weather observation was taken at the time of the accident, but the regular observation at 1553 reported winds 270 at 4 knots, and the regular observation at 1653 reported winds 190 at 8 knots, with gusts to 15 knots. The pilot said the airplane ground-looped to the left during the landing roll, and sustained structural damage to the right wing and aileron. In a written report to the NTSB dated July 8, 2005, the pilot indicated that he failed to use the proper crosswind techniques while landing. While conducting a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, the commercial certificated pilot said the air traffic control tower cleared him to land on runway 24, and advised the wind direction was 120 degrees at 5 knots. He said he used full flaps, and during the landing roll, the airplane ground-looped to the left. The pilot said he felt the wind was stronger than reported. No special weather observation was taken at the time of the accident, but the regular observation, taken at 1653, reported the wind as 190 at 8 knots, with gusts to 15 knots. According to the pilot, there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to the accident. The airplane's right wing and aileron received structural damage during the ground-loop. In a written report to the NTSB dated July 8, the pilot indicated that he failed to use the proper crosswind landing techniques. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12