Cessna (Textron Aviation) · Single-engine piston plane
Cessna 180 and 185 Skywagon
Is the Cessna 180 and 185 Skywagon safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 23 small planes we rate, with 32 fatal accidents counted in about 5.4 million US flights since 2008.
Likely range 44 to 56
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 32 in 5.4 million flights
5.9 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights in the United States since 2008 (private, training, charter and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: accidents outside the United States or before 2008, military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 26.7
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 5.4 million
Estimated flights of all kinds in the United States since 2008. Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston singles in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 4,025 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (0.73, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 0.71 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 85 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.
- Technology generation
- Single-engine piston plane
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 5.6 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 213 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 95%.
- Likely range
- 44 to 56
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 15 September 2026
Nick's Air Service, Stony River, AK, United States of America: 2 of 2 people on board died.
- Aircraft destroyed
- 10
Aircraft the NTSB coded as destroyed in an accident in the United States since 2008, fatal or not, from all causes. The NTSB codes many wrecks as only substantially damaged, so the real number is higher (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Cessna 180 and 185 Skywagon carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- One flight on the Cessna 180 and 185 SkywagonThis aircraft1 in 200,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
Accident history
32 fatal accidents in the United States since 2008 count toward the score, with 55 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick's Air ServiceA185F · Stony River, AK, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a Part 135 air taxi flight carrying a hunter and moose meat from a sloping strip near Stony River, Alaska, in strong wind and turbulence, the A185F crashed and burned about 2,400 ft from the strip; the pilot and passenger died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Department OF Inland Fisheries And WildlifeA185F · Avon, ME, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | A Maine Warden Service A185F on floats, stocking fish in Schoolhouse Pond near Avon, made a right turn past the pond and hit trees on rising ground; the pilot died. The fish were still in the pod. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA185 · Everglades City, FL, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | After several low passes over the Ten Thousand Islands near Everglades City, Florida, the amphibious A185F ended upside down in the water with its gear set for a water landing. The passenger died and the pilot was badly hurt. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Trilla, IL, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Flying from Greenville, Kentucky, towards Wisconsin in low cloud and mist, the 180G made a low pass near Trilla, Illinois, hit 35 ft power lines and crashed on a road; all four on board died. The pilot had no instrument rating. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Fremont, NE, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | On a short evening flight from Fremont, Nebraska, the 180 flew low up a river and hit high-tension power lines; part of the tail fell off, and the aircraft climbed, then turned and dived into the river. All three on board died. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Big Lake, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Taking off from a lake near Big Lake, Alaska, in strong gusty wind, the float-equipped 180G was pushed by a gust into tall trees and ended upside down in the water. The pilot died and his passenger was badly hurt. The investigation has not published a cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Windshear or stormNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA185F · Kent, WA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying the amphibious A185F a short hop to his lakefront home near Kent, Washington, the pilot left the wheels down; the aircraft flipped over as the floats touched Lake Meridian and sank, and he died. NTSB: the pilot did not set the gear for a water landing.Type: Hard landing or abnormal runway contactNTSB docket | |
| Golden Eagle Outfitters, Inc.180 · Shaktoolik, AK, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Taking off downhill from a 750 ft ridge strip near Shaktoolik, Alaska, on a Part 135 hunting charter, the 180H veered left, hit a tree with its tail and crashed 300 ft below; the pilot and a guide died. NTSB: gusting tailwind on takeoff led to the tree strike and loss of control.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Harrisburg, PA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Near the end of a three-leg trip, the 180 lost engine power while diverting to an airport near Harrisburg and hit a toll plaza about a mile short; the passenger died and the pilot was badly hurt. NTSB: poor fuel planning and decisions led to fuel exhaustion.Type: FuelNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA185F · Fairbanks, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Taxiing back on a pond at Fairbanks for a second takeoff try, the float-equipped A185F sank nose-low and flipped. Loose cargo shifted and the pilot could not get out and drowned. NTSB: badly kept floats let water in; the unsecured cargo was a factor.Type: OtherNTSB docket | |
| Private180A · Skwentna, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | The float-equipped 180A crashed while taking off from Whiskey Lake near Skwentna, Alaska; the pilot, alone on board, died. NTSB: a float failed because of poor float maintenance and corrosion.Type: System failureNTSB docket | |
| Copper Valley Air Service185 · Chitina, AK, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | On a scheduled Part 135 flight from Gulkana to McCarthy, Alaska, the A185E descended fast, its right wing failed in overload and it broke up; the pilot and passenger died. No fatigue or corrosion was found. NTSB: an in-flight breakup of unknown cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Unknown causeNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operatorA185 · Fairbanks, AK, United States of America | 2 killed / 3 on board | Landing on a charter flight at the Chena Marina floatpond, Fairbanks, the A185F hit a PA-18 taking off from the same runway; the pilot and one passenger died. NTSB: the PA-18 pilot did not see and avoid the Cessna or hear the tower's traffic call.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operatorA185 · Nuiqsut, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a Part 135 charter for an Arctic research project, the A185F flew low over a frozen lake near Nuiqsut, Alaska, turned left and hit the snow-covered ground. The pilot died and his passenger was badly hurt. NTSB: flight into terrain in flat light.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA185 · Whittier, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 3 on board | The amphibious A185F landed on water near Whittier, Alaska, with its wheels down and flipped over; the front passenger, hurt in the impact, drowned. The gear warning had been faulty for years. NTSB: the pilot, distracted by talking passengers, left the gear down.Type: Hard landing or abnormal runway contactNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Ventura, CA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Over the mountains near Ventura, California, the 180 broke up in flight and the engine and both wings came off; the pilot died. NTSB: the pilot pulled up hard while above manoeuvring speed and overloaded the tail and wings; why he pulled up could not be determined.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA185F · Coeur D'alene, ID, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After practice approaches to a remote strip near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the pilot of the A185F flew up a narrowing canyon, tried to turn back and hit trees on the slope. He died. NTSB: he did not keep clear of trees while flying low in the mountains.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Kasilof, AK, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Flying low along a beach near Kasilof, Alaska, the 180 pitched up over a bluff, then its engine misfired and lost power, and it crashed and burned; both on board died. The engine later ran normally on test. NTSB: total power loss of unknown cause.Cause not yet established; counted.Type: Engine failureNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Whittier, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Flying in cloud to Valdez in an aircraft not approved for icing, the pilot of the 180 reported ice and engine trouble and vanished from radar over Prince William Sound. His body was found; the aircraft sank. NTSB: he flew on into known icing and the engine lost all power.Type: IcingNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · North Hampton, NH, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | After a normal takeoff from the grass runway at Hampton, New Hampshire, the 180 pitched up until it stalled and fell; both on board died. NTSB: the pilot did not keep enough airspeed; his impairment by a sedating antihistamine was a factor.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA185F · Blanding, UT, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | On a sightseeing trip to backcountry strips in Utah, the A185F hit a plateau edge after leaving the third strip; the instructor and a passenger died, and the badly hurt pilot died before rescuers came. NTSB: loss of control at low level; the ELT and a locator had come loose.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Private180B · Talkeetna, AK, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Two floatplanes heading to the same lake near Trapper Creek, Alaska, collided at about 900 ft; the 180 fell vertically and all four on board died, while the U206G landed. The pilots were on different radio frequencies. NTSB: neither pilot saw and avoided the other.Type: Mid-air collisionNTSB docket | |
| Private180D · Santa Paula, CA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Leaving Santa Paula, California, at dusk at about 100 ft, the 180D hit an unmarked telephone line 85 ft above a river bed and burned; both on board died. NTSB: the pilot did not keep clear of the line at low altitude in poor light.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private180 · Chugiak, AK, United States of America | 5 killed / 5 on board | The 180 swerved off the runway at Birchwood, Alaska, took off nose-high, cleared trees, then rolled right and fell; all five on board died. NTSB: loss of control and a stall, with the pilot's little time on the type, lack of currency and an overweight aircraft as factors.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Department OF Inland Fisheries And WildlifeA185F · Ashland, ME, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | A Maine game warden flying a ski-equipped A185F on patrol took off from a frozen lake into a snow squall; the aircraft went into a steep descending right turn and hit frozen Clear Lake. He died. NTSB: flight into cloud and snow, spatial disorientation and loss of control.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Frontier SkydiversA185F · Newfane, NY, United States of America | 1 killed / 6 on board | As the skydiving A185F lifted off at Newfane, New York, the jump door opened and a parachutist leaned out to close it. The distracted pilot let it veer into trees; one of six on board died. NTSB: the pilot lost control, with the parachutist's attempt to close the door a factor.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| PrivateA185F · Rockwood, ME, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | The amphibious A185F took off from a runway and landed on Moosehead Lake, Maine, with its wheels still down; it flipped over and floated inverted. The pilot died and his passenger survived. NTSB: the pilot did not retract the gear, and was impaired by an antihistamine.Type: Hard landing or abnormal runway contactNTSB docket | |
| Southern Seaplane Inc180 · Davant, LA, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | On a seaplane rating lesson near Davant, Louisiana, the pilot under instruction landed the float-equipped Cessna 180J on a bayou with wrong control and throttle inputs; it nosed over and sank upside down. He died; the instructor was not hurt.Type: Hard landing or abnormal runway contactNTSB docket | |
| Unknown operatorA185E · Healy, AK, United States of America | 1 killed / 2 on board | Tracking wolves for a biologist in Denali National Park, the A185E turned back towards a ridge at low altitude, met turbulence and downdrafts and was pushed into trees; one of the two on board died. NTSB: the pilot chose to fly low over rising terrain where turbulence was likely.Type: TurbulenceNTSB docket | |
| Private180F · Townsend, MT, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | On a flight from Bozeman to Helena the 180F was seen flying 20 to 30 ft above the ground over a herd of elk; it hit trees and the base of a mountain and was found two days later. The pilot died. NTSB: the pilot did not keep clear of trees and terrain at low altitude.Type: Flight into terrainNTSB docket | |
| Private180K · Garden City, UT, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Making low steep turns over a friend's house near Garden City, Utah, at a density altitude near 7,900 ft, the 180K climbed, stalled and dropped a wing; both on board died. NTSB: the pilot did not keep enough airspeed, which led to a stall and spin.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket | |
| Mark Storer Aviation LLCA185F · Shelton, WA, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The float-equipped A185F lifted off near the end of a lake at Shelton, Washington, climbed to about 100 ft, rocked its wings, rolled left and dived into the ground; both men on board died. No fault was found. NTSB: the pilot let the airspeed drop and the aircraft stalled.Type: Loss of control in flightNTSB docket |
The NTSB lists 1 more fatal event of the Cessna 180 and 185 Skywagon in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands or another US territory, or on a route outside the US states. They are not used, because the flight count covers US flights since 2008 only.
Most fatal Cessna 180 and 185 accidents are the kind that bush flying invites: small strips, wind, terrain and water. We count 32 in the United States since 2008, up to 28 October 2026, with 55 deaths. Fourteen were in Alaska. Per flight, the record sits in the upper half of the small planes we rate, behind the Cessna 172's, though their likely ranges overlap.
What are the 180 and 185?
They are high-wing tailwheel singles from Cessna, the 180 from 1953 and the 185 Skywagon a larger, more powerful relative. Strong landing gear and short take-offs make them standard for backcountry strips, lakes and ski flying. About 4,000 are on the US register. Many are owner-flown; others work for Alaska air taxis and outfitters on floats, wheels and skis.
Can one number cover a bush plane and a weekend 180?
Only roughly. The small-plane score sets US fatal accidents since 2008 (from the NTSB database) against US flights (take-off to final landing) estimated from the FAA register and the FAA General Aviation survey. The survey gives hours for all single-engine pistons together; airframe hours in NTSB accident records and, to a lesser degree, hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers set each type's share, but one figure still covers a busy Alaska air taxi and a private 180 flown a few weekends a year. Those measures show that 180s and 185s make far fewer flights per aircraft than school trainers, so they sit behind the 172. A flight in any small plane carries far more risk than an airline flight. See our method and the small planes ranking. Confidence is medium.
What went wrong on 180 and 185 flights?
Of 32 events, 26 were private or other flights, five were commercial passenger flights (all in Alaska) and one was a seaplane lesson. Loss of control leads (9), then flight into terrain (6). Four records have no stated cause.
Wind and strips appear in some Part 135 cases. On 16 June 2023 a 180H taking off downhill from a ridge strip near Shaktoolik, Alaska, with a gusting tailwind, hit a tree with its tail; the pilot and a guide died. On 15 September 2026 an A185F air-taxi flight crashed near a sloping strip at Stony River, Alaska, in strong wind and turbulence; the pilot and passenger died. The investigation is open.
On 4 February 2021 an A185E on a scheduled flight from Gulkana to McCarthy, Alaska, descended fast and its right wing failed in overload near Chitina. The NTSB found no fatigue or corrosion and called it an in-flight breakup of unknown cause.
Floats, skis and water
Twelve events involved floats or amphibians. Wheels-down water landings killed people on 1 August 2010 on Moosehead Lake, Maine, on 21 May 2019 near Whittier, Alaska, and on 24 August 2024 at Kent, Washington. At Kent a pilot flying a short hop home left the wheels down; the NTSB said he did not set the gear for water. Check the gear position on every approach.
On 25 September 2022 a float broke on takeoff at Whiskey Lake near Skwentna, Alaska, after poor float maintenance and corrosion.
Busy skies and skydiving
On 30 July 2011 two floatplanes heading for the same lake near Trapper Creek, Alaska, collided at about 900 ft; the 180 fell and all four on board died. They were on different radio frequencies. On 27 August 2020 an A185F landing at the Chena floatpond in Fairbanks struck a Piper PA-18 taking off from the same runway. The pilot and one passenger died. The NTSB found the PA-18 pilot did not see and avoid the Cessna.
Skydiving is rare in the data: an A185F veered into trees at Newfane, New York, on 1 August 2010 as a parachutist tried to close the door; one of six died.
If you are a passenger
- Ask a charter pilot how often they fly that strip, and what wind or cloud makes them cancel.
- Check the operator is Part 135, and look it up in the NTSB database.
- For a private flight, ask if the pilot trains on a tailwheel and on floats.
- Know the exit before a water landing.
How to tell if you are on one
Flight trackers show C180 or C185. For a bigger workhorse see the Cessna 206; for a smaller tailwheel see the Piper Cub.
Questions people ask
Is a Cessna 180 or 185 safe to fly in as a passenger?
Per flight, its record sits in the upper half of the small planes we rate, level with the Piper PA-28 and the Piper Seminole, and behind the Cessna 172, though their likely ranges overlap. Most of the fatal accidents involve a private pilot or a bush charter in poor weather, wind or terrain. Ask a charter pilot how often they fly that strip and what they do when wind picks up.
How many fatal Cessna 180 and 185 accidents are there?
We count 32 in the United States since 2008, up to 28 October 2026, with 55 deaths. Fourteen were in Alaska.
Are tailwheel planes harder to land?
Yes, they need more rudder work, especially in a crosswind. In our fatal record, though, none of the 32 counted events was a Runway excursionWhen an aircraft leaves the runway surface during take-off or landing, either off the end (an overrun) or off the side (a veer-off).More in the glossary, and the hard or abnormal landings were mostly floatplanes put down on water with the wheels down. Loss of control in flight and terrain were more frequent.
Why do floatplane accidents involve the wheels?
Amphibious floats carry retractable wheels. Three fatal accidents since 2008 followed a water landing with the wheels still down, which flips the aircraft.
What ICAO code does the Cessna 180 or 185 have?
C180 for the 180 Skywagon and C185 for the 185 Skywagon.
Sources
- 1.NTSB docket: Cessna A185F, Stony River, Alaska, 15 September 2026 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 2.NTSB docket: Cessna 180, Shaktoolik, Alaska, 16 June 2023 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 3.NTSB docket: Cessna 185, Chitina, Alaska, 4 February 2021 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 4.NTSB docket: Cessna A185, Fairbanks, Alaska, 27 August 2020 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 5.NTSB docket: Cessna 180B, Talkeetna, Alaska, 30 July 2011 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 6.NTSB docket: Cessna A185F, Kent, Washington, 24 August 2024 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 7.NTSB docket: Cessna A185F, Newfane, New York, 1 August 2010 (opens in a new tab) · National Transportation Safety Board
- 8.SafetyScorer exposure model: FAA aircraft register, FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey, OpenSky ADS-B, NTSB airframe hours (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds in the United States (private, training, charter and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026, each counted from take-off to final landing: the hours of all US piston singles in each year (active aircraft and hours from the FAA General Aviation and Part 135 Activity Survey), split between types by US-registered aircraft (FAA register, 4,025 of this type in 2024) times how much each type flies against its class (0.73, mostly from airframe hours in NTSB accident records, partly from hours per aircraft seen by ADS-B receivers in 2019-2022), at 0.71 hours per flight from ADS-B tracks: about 85 flights per registered aircraft per year in 2024. Flights and accidents outside the United States, or before 2008, are not used. Against the FAA's hours per helicopter model, this method is off by about 22% on a typical type. Uncertainty roughly ±25%.