NTSB ANC21LA097 — 2021-09-25 · Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Aircraft involved

N716 Cessna 180E None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s loss of control during takeoff due to a gusty, variable wind and the rough terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that he was attempting to takeoff from a gravel bar along a river. The airplane got airborne and cleared a rock bluff; however, it settled back to the ground on the other side. The terrain was rough, and he was unable to get the airplane airborne again. The left landing gear collapsed, and the fuselage was damaged. The pilot stated there were no issues with the airplane before the accident, and the engine seemed to be making full power. The wind was gusty and variable. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
— Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Contributed to outcome
— Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-(general)-Contributed to outcome

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ANC21LA097.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (loss of control). All research papers