Cessna 185 N185AV

Summary

On 13 June 2004 at about 16:00 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N185AV was involved in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

13 June 2004 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Skwentna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.9500, -151.1833

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N185AV

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Skwentna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC04LA068

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his inadequate flare while landing, which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the main landing gear. Factors associated with the accident were a downdraft, and rough and uneven terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot was landing on a rough and uneven gravel-covered airstrip. He said that during the landing flare, he encountered a slight downdraft, and the airplane touched down harder than anticipated. After touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed, followed by the collapse of the right main landing gear. Following the landing gear collapse, the fuselage struck the surface of the gravel-covered site, and sustained structural damage to the left elevator, left wing, and fuselage. The pilot said that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.