Cessna A185F N185FK

Summary

On 8 March 2013 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N185FK, operated by Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc, was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, United States. 4 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

8 March 2013 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.8569, -150.7020

Aircraft

Cessna A185F

Registration

N185FK

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Talkeetna → Talkeetna

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC13LA032

Nobody was injured.

The overstress fracture and failure of the right wheel/ski arm while taxiing in snow and water-overflow terrain conditions, which resulted in a noseover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot and three passengers were on an air tour flight in a wheel/ski-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that, after landing on a frozen, snow-covered lake and while taxiing, he felt the weight of the airplane transfer to the right wheel/ski as he initiated a left turn. He stated that, during the turn, the airplane’s wheel/skis began to sink into the soft snow and that the airplane subsequently nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, rudder, and vertical stabilizer. After the accident, the pilot reported seeing water overflow in the ski tracks of the airplane, which can rapidly decelerate the airplane during taxi. A postaccident examination revealed that the ski arm assembly on the right wheel/ski had separated at the weld area. Magnified optical examination of the fracture surfaces revealed features consistent with overstress separations of the welds. No indication of preexisting cracking, such as fatigue or corrosion, was noted.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.