Cessna 180 N2996C

Summary

On 1 September 2025 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna 180 registered N2996C was involved in an accident near Willow, 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

1 September 2025 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Willow, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Pvt (PVT)

Coordinates

61.7526, -150.0544

Aircraft

Cessna 180

Registration

N2996C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1954

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC25LA101

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to takeoff from an unsuitable runway due to large puddles of water, which resulted in a nose over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that flooding had recently occurred at his location and standing water remained in some places on the runway. He taxied up and down the runway and determined it was safe to depart. During the takeoff roll, the airplane experienced resistance when it contacted the first puddle of water, which forced the nose of the airplane down, resulting in a nose over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing lift strut, vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.