Cessna 185 N5246E
9 June 2003 · Talkeetna, Alaska, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 9 June 2003 at about 19:45 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N5246E was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, United States. 5 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Talkeetna, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Mountain House
- Coordinates
- 62.8333, -150.5000
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185
- Registration
- N5246E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Talkeetna → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC03LA057
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Probable cause
The pilot's excessive taxi speed while attempting to turn the airplane in soft snow, which resulted in a nose over. A factor in the accident was soft snow.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the wheel ski-equipped airplane was attempting to takeoff down-slope from a remote mountain glacier airstrip for an air taxi sightseeing flight . The pilot reported that the snow on the runway was fresh and wet, which slowed the airplane's acceleration. He said he elected to abort the takeoff because of the airplane's slow acceleration and low airspeed. Following the aborted takeoff, he initiated a left turn to return to the top of the airstrip for another takeoff attempt. As the airplane turned, the pilot said it felt like the right main landing gear wheel ski encountered a soft spot or sink hole, and sank deeper into the snow. As soon the as the ski sank, the airplane nosed over. The airplane received structural damage to the fuselage and right wing. A national park ranger who flew to the accident scene reported that it appeared that the airplane's tailwheel-ski never touched down before the left turn was initiated. He said the proper procedure for an aborted takeoff on the glacier is to come to a complete stop going straight, deplane the passengers, make the turn up-slope, and then taxi back for takeoff.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Cessna 185 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Jul 2003 | Cessna 185 | Sinclair Is., Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 2003 | Cessna 185 | Big Lake, Alaska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Oct 2003 | Cessna 185 | Trout Lake, Washington, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2003 | Cessna 185 | Ketchikan, Alaska, United States | Gary G. Boles | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2003 | Cessna 185 | Tyonek, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jun 2003 | Cessna 185F | Lexington, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
All 1,004 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2003 | Rockwell 500-S | Chickaloon, Alaska, United States | State of Alaska Division of Forestry | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2003 | Williamson GLASTAR | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2003 | Cessna 206 | English Bay, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 Aug 2003 | Cloud-Wag Aero SPORTSMEN | Noatak, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2003 | Cessna 401 | Gustavus, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 12 Jul 2003 | Piper PA-18 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |