N52009Cessna 180J · 1974

On July 5, 2025, about 1430 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 180J airplane, N52009, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near King Salmon, Alaska. The pilot and two passengers were seriously injured and one passenger sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The float-equipped airplane departed from the Campbell Lake Seaplane Base (A11), Anchorage, Alaska about 1045 for a bear viewing trip at Katmai National Park and Preserve. While en route, the airplane made a stop at Port Alsworth Airport (TPO) to refuel before continuing to Katmai National Park and Preserve. The airplane departed TPO about 1340.

During a postaccident interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot reported that, given his injuries, he was unable to remember the exact circumstances surrounding the accident. He recalled that he planned to land on Naknek Lake in front of the Brooks Camp Ranger Station. He remembered that he configured the airplane for landing by lowering the wing flaps to 20 degrees, and that the airspeed was between 80-90 knots as the airplane passed through 800 ft mean sea level (MSL). The last thing the pilot remembers is turning a right downwind so he could come over the trees and land closer to the beach to avoid a long taxi to parking.

The airplane subsequently collided with a stand of trees and eventually came to rest in an area of wet, tundra-covered terrain, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. See figure 1.

Figure 1. N52009 at the accident site. (Photo courtesy of Katmai National Park and Preserve)

A witness at Lake Brooks was loading passengers into his floatplane when he heard the accident airplane fly overhead. He said that the engine sounded like normal cruise power, just before he heard what sounded like the engine going to full power, which was quickly followed by silence. He added that strong gusty southeasterly wind conditions, estimated between 20 to 30 knots prevailed at the time of the accident.

A detailed NTSB wreckage examination is pending after recovery.