Cessna 185 accidents

The NTSB database holds 1,004 accidents and incidents involving the Cessna 185, recorded between 1964 to 2025. 83 of them were fatal (8%), and 176 people died.

The deadliest year was 1977, with 12 deaths.

The phase of flight recorded most often is landing (252 records).

Most of these records are from United States, Canada and Africa.

103 of these records cannot be placed at all, so they appear in the list below but not on the map.

For 514 of them the NTSB recorded no coordinates, so their position on the map is approximate.

1,004

Records

Fatal

176

Deaths

Share fatal

1964 to 2025

Period

Show these on the map 901 of 1,004 can be placed (514 approximate)

By decade

1960s 138

1970s 327

1980s 223

1990s 173

2000s 103

2010s 24

2020s 16

Where these happened

United States 979 Canada 5 Africa 3 Unknown/Not Reported 2 Colombia 2 United Kingdom 1

Operators involved

Wien Alaska Airlines, Inc. 5 Homer Air Serv 4 Frontier Flyin 4 Cape Smythe Air Service 3 Foster Aviatio 3 Sea Airmotive 3

All 1,004 records by number of deaths, then by date

Date	Aircraft	Location	Operator	Outcome	Died
29 Oct 1982	Cessna 185 N9982X	Stony River, Alaska, United States	Jack R. Smith	No injuries	-
23 Sep 1982	Cessna 185 N21753	Near Barrow, Alaska, United States	-	No injuries	-
9 Sep 1982	Cessna 185F N80124	Naknek, Alaska, United States	Bell Harring & Associates	No injuries	-
19 Aug 1982	Cessna 185 N3489Y	Near Tyonek, Alaska, United States not on the map	Eberlards Guide	Serious injuries	-
16 Aug 1982	Cessna 185 N79SC	Near Skwentna, Alaska, United States	Warren Linden Huppi	No injuries	-
8 Aug 1982	Cessna 185F N1344Q	Lake George, New York, United States	William J. Barton, JR.	No injuries	-
29 Jul 1982	Cessna 185F N1453Q	McGrath, Alaska, United States approximate position	Mark Gruszczynski	No injuries	-
29 Jun 1982	Cessna 185 N93DM	Scooba, Mississippi, United States	Dresser Magcorbar	No injuries	-
23 Jun 1982	Cessna 185 N2635S	Fairbanks, Alaska, United States approximate position	Thomas Wickwire	No injuries	-
9 Jun 1982	Cessna 185E N70232	Round Lake, New York, United States	ACM Systems, Inc	No injuries	-
8 Jun 1982	Cessna 185 N2205T	Anza, California, United States approximate position	Mission Aviation Fellowship	No injuries	-
15 May 1982	Cessna 185A N4175Y	Marion, Montana, United States	Tomahawk Flight Enterprises	No injuries	-
15 Mar 1982	Cessna 185 N6978H	Paxson, Alaska, United States approximate position	W.t. Ellis	No injuries	-
9 Feb 1982	Cessna 185 N8456Q	Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States	Wright Air Service	No injuries	-
5 Dec 1981	Cessna 185 N3399L	Sleetmute, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
27 Nov 1981	Cessna 185 N20807	Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States approximate position	Arctic Circle	No injuries	-
15 Nov 1981	Cessna 185F N4900C	Burns, Oregon, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
11 Nov 1981	Cessna 185 N4724Q	Hidden Falls, Alaska, United States approximate position	Ronald Salmon	No injuries	-
23 Sep 1981	Cessna 185 N5045R	Somers, Montana, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
22 Sep 1981	Cessna 185 N21369	Umiat, Alaska, United States approximate position	Cape Symthe AI	No injuries	-
16 Sep 1981	Cessna 185 N53064	Grand Isle, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Southern Seapl	No injuries	-
13 Sep 1981	Cessna 185 N1089F	Naknek, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
1 Sep 1981	Cessna 185F N6320N	Lake Arthur, Louisiana, United States approximate position	American Colds	No injuries	-
27 Aug 1981	Cessna 185E N1603M	Westhampton B, New York, United States not on the map	Malloy Enterpr	No injuries	-
26 Aug 1981	Cessna 185 N4912C	Anchorage, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	Serious injuries	-
10 Jul 1981	Cessna 185F N1795R	Anchorage, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
2 Jul 1981	Cessna 185 N3343S	Nightmute, Alaska, United States approximate position	Executive Chtr	No injuries	-
19 Jun 1981	Cessna 185 N1688Z	Bethel, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	Serious injuries	-
12 Jun 1981	Cessna 185F N1206F	Crested Butte, Colorado, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
21 May 1981	Cessna 185F N61741	Westwego, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Westwego AVN	No injuries	-
1 May 1981	Cessna 185 N70008	Nome, Alaska, United States approximate position	Foster Aviatio	No injuries	-
2 Apr 1981	Cessna 185F N456AP	Delta Junction, Alaska, United States approximate position	Alyeska Pipeli	Minor injuries	-
18 Mar 1981	Cessna 185 N7380Q	Port Sulphur, Louisiana, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
7 Mar 1981	Cessna 185 N1231F	Cordova, Alaska, United States approximate position	Chitna Air	No injuries	-
3 Mar 1981	Cessna 185 N185JW	Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
16 Jan 1981	Cessna 185F N7395H	Russian Msn, Alaska, United States not on the map	Western Yukon	No injuries	-
3 Jan 1981	Cessna 185 N6305E	Evergreen, Alabama, United States approximate position	-	Minor injuries	-
18 Dec 1980	Cessna 185 N2565Z	Kasigluk, Alaska, United States approximate position	Bush Air, Inc	No injuries	-
11 Dec 1980	Cessna 185 N8436Q	Ajuntas, Puerto Rico, United States not on the map	Las Piedras Co	No injuries	-
26 Nov 1980	Cessna 185 N75LE	Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States approximate position	Arctic Circle	No injuries	-
15 Nov 1980	Cessna 185 N70037	Port Townsend, Washington, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
27 Oct 1980	Cessna 185F N5468E	Round Lake, New York, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
22 Oct 1980	Cessna 185F N5458E	Cameron, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Gulf South CHA	No injuries	-
21 Oct 1980	Cessna 185 N1095F	St Marys, Alaska, United States approximate position	Andreafski Air	No injuries	-
15 Oct 1980	Cessna 185 N4939Q	Phoenix, Arizona, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
9 Oct 1980	Cessna 185 N70438	Seattle, Washington, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
5 Oct 1980	Cessna 185 N2593S	Round Lake, New York, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
11 Sep 1980	Cessna 185 N185U	New Caney, Texas, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
3 Sep 1980	Cessna 185F N5125E	Leeville, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Chevron USA	No injuries	-
1 Sep 1980	Cessna 185 N8308Q	Houma, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Lafourche Air	No injuries	-