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 Other-Foreign Countries 1

Operators involved

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

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

Date	Aircraft	Location	Operator	Outcome	Died
26 Jan 1976	Cessna 185 N2550Z	Nondalton, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
21 Jan 1976	Cessna 185 N70488	Homer, Alaska, United States approximate position	Homer Air Serv	Serious injuries	-
17 Jan 1976	Cessna 185 N1322F	Lime Village, Alaska, United States approximate position	Christensen AI	No injuries	-
20 Dec 1975	Cessna 185A N39FC	Delcambre, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Franks Casing	Serious injuries	-
21 Nov 1975	Cessna 185 N1744R	Houma, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Gulf Coast PRE	No injuries	-
19 Nov 1975	Cessna 185F N1301F	Gainesville, Florida, United States approximate position	Africair, Inc.	Minor injuries	-
12 Nov 1975	Cessna 185 N9832X	Hot Springs, South Dakota, United States approximate position	Crimm Drilling	No injuries	-
10 Oct 1975	Cessna 185 N12NT	Golden Meadow, Louisiana, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
4 Oct 1975	Cessna 185 N1823B	Sanford, North Carolina, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
30 Sep 1975	Cessna 185 N2720J	Tahneta Lake, Alaska, United States not on the map	-	No injuries	-
28 Sep 1975	Cessna 185 N1507F	Lake Arthur, Louisiana, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
20 Sep 1975	Cessna 185 N3382S	Anchorage, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
19 Sep 1975	Cessna 185 N5886T	Cordova, Alaska, United States approximate position	Chitina Air SE	No injuries	-
1 Sep 1975	Cessna 185B N62532	Gulkana, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
24 Aug 1975	Cessna 185 N9982X	Farewell, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
9 Aug 1975	Cessna 185 N4548F	Elyria, Ohio, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
3 Aug 1975	Cessna 185A N101LL	Casper, Wyoming, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
20 Jul 1975	Cessna 185 N1092F	New Carlisle, Indiana, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
13 Jul 1975	Cessna 185 N4188Y	Bullfrog Basin, Utah, United States not on the map	Green River AV	Minor injuries	-
6 Jul 1975	Cessna 185 N3800Q	Barrow, Alaska, United States approximate position	FEL Air, Inc.	No injuries	-
5 Jul 1975	Cessna 185 N9828X	McGrath, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
29 Jun 1975	Cessna 185 N9829X	Dallesport, Washington, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
27 Jun 1975	Cessna 185 AP-AXX	Wichita, Kansas, United States approximate position	Flo-Air Inc	No injuries	-
27 Jun 1975	Cessna 185B N9825C	Klawok, Alaska, United States approximate position	Flair Air	No injuries	-
21 Jun 1975	Cessna 185F N1750R	Bettles, Alaska, United States approximate position	Frontier Flyin	No injuries	-
20 Jun 1975	Cessna 185 N1003F	Coram, New York, United States approximate position	Ventura Air SE	No injuries	-
19 Jun 1975	Cessna 185 N70010	Kasigluk, Alaska, United States approximate position	Sea Airmotive	No injuries	-
18 Jun 1975	Cessna 185D N1535F	San Carlos, California, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
3 Jun 1975	Cessna 185F N53042	Fairbanks, Alaska, United States approximate position	Air Samplex Co	No injuries	-
24 May 1975	Cessna 185 N7SR	Minooka, Illinois, United States approximate position	Rossi Flying S	No injuries	-
8 May 1975	Cessna 185 N70148	Juneau, Alaska, United States approximate position	Capitol Air	No injuries	-
11 Apr 1975	Cessna 185D N1568F	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Trans Gulf Sea	Minor injuries	-
21 Mar 1975	Cessna 185 N1598F	Oliktok, Alaska, United States not on the map	Fel-Air Inc.	No injuries	-
19 Mar 1975	Cessna 185 N70140	Henderson, Louisiana, United States approximate position	Patterson Rent	No injuries	-
15 Mar 1975	Cessna 185 N70060	Kamiah, Idaho, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
15 Mar 1975	Cessna 185 N9812X	Iron Mountain, Michigan, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
1 Mar 1975	Cessna 185 N9868X	Goodnews, Alaska, United States not on the map	Stovall Air SE	No injuries	-
17 Jan 1975	Cessna 185E N70008	Teller, Alaska, United States approximate position	Foster Aviatio	No injuries	-
10 Oct 1974	Cessna 185E N4753Q	Twin Falls, Idaho, United States approximate position	Acme Air Taxi	No injuries	-
25 Sep 1974	Cessna 185 N2588Z	Elim, Alaska, United States approximate position	Foster Aviatio	No injuries	-
19 Sep 1974	Cessna 185 N70394	Birchwood, Alaska, United States approximate position	Chugiak Aviati	No injuries	-
14 Sep 1974	Cessna 185 N185JH	Lone Pine, California, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
12 Sep 1974	Cessna 185 N70020	Bethel, Alaska, United States approximate position	Delaire Charte	No injuries	-
2 Sep 1974	Cessna 185 N244CB	Craig, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
1 Sep 1974	Cessna 185 N1516F	Glennallen, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
22 Aug 1974	Cessna 185 N2525Z	Anchorage, Alaska, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
19 Aug 1974	Cessna 185 N2554Z	Kongiganak, Alaska, United States approximate position	Krause Air SER	No injuries	-
13 Aug 1974	Cessna 185 N4030Y	Reno, Nevada, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-
12 Jun 1974	Cessna 185 N2635S	Fairbanks, Alaska, United States approximate position	Alaska Air CHA	No injuries	-
27 May 1974	Cessna 185C N2664Z	Watsonville, California, United States approximate position	-	No injuries	-