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.

617 of these records have no coordinates in the source data, so they appear in the list below but not on the map.

1,004

Records

Fatal

176

Deaths

Share fatal

1964 to 2025

Period

Show these on the map 387 of 1,004 have coordinates

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 Peru 1

Operators involved

Wien Alaska Airlines, Inc. 5 Frontier Flyin 4 Homer Air Serv 4 Intracoastal S 3 Green River AV 3 Foster Aviatio 3

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

Date	Aircraft	Location	Operator	Outcome	Died
14 Jan 1980	Cessna 185 N1690Z	Shungnak, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Ambler Air SER	Fatal	7
2 Oct 2010	Cessna 185 OB-1808	Nazca, Peru	Air Nasca	Fatal	6
30 Dec 2009	Cessna 185 P2-MJL	Baindoang, PNG, Papua New Guinea no coordinates	Kiunga Aviation	Fatal	6
20 Jun 2004	Cessna 185 L1811	Sukabumi, Indonesia no coordinates	Lido Aerosport Club	Fatal	6
23 Sep 1966	Cessna 185E N1590F	Ngrangeville, Idaho, United States no coordinates	Rancho Idaho, I	Fatal	5
28 May 2003	Cessna 185 N70176	Talkeetna, Alaska, United States	McKinley Air Service	Fatal	4
20 Jun 2000	Cessna 185E N1589F	Talkeetna, Alaska, United States	National Parks Service	Fatal	4
23 Aug 1992	Cessna 185 N9829X	Whittier, Alaska, United States	James R. Wirth	Fatal	4
4 Jul 1988	Cessna 185 N185BT	Whittier, Alaska, United States	Elmendorf Aero Club	Fatal	4
21 Aug 1977	Cessna 185 N1738R	Hansville, Washington, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	4
12 Sep 1973	Cessna 185E CF-CMH	Gordon, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Aklavik Flying	Fatal	4
17 Oct 1964	Cessna 185B N2566Z	Augusta Mont, Montana, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	4
29 Jun 2013	Cessna 185 OH-CEG	Vehmersalmi, Finland	-	Fatal	3
14 Jun 1997	Cessna 185F N4758E	Bagotville, Canada no coordinates	Randell L. McPherson	Fatal	3
30 Jul 1988	Cessna 185 N70168	Liscome Bay, Alaska, United States	Temsco Airlines	Fatal	3
27 Nov 1987	Cessna 185 N4056Y	Fairbanks, Alaska, United States	-	Fatal	3
5 Nov 1978	Cessna 185 N80169	Joseph, Oregon, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	3
10 Sep 1978	Cessna 185 N4871C	Missing Aircraft, Unknown/Not Reported no coordinates	-	Fatal	3
2 Sep 1977	Cessna 185 N2563Z	Minto Lake, Alaska, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	3
31 May 1977	Cessna 185 N3345L	Houma, Louisiana, United States no coordinates	Intracoastal S	Fatal	3
25 Aug 1976	Cessna 185 N9924X	Sunnyside, Utah, United States no coordinates	Green River AV	Fatal	3
9 Nov 1975	Cessna 185 N9874X	Anchorage, Alaska, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	3
15 Feb 1972	Cessna 185C N2659Z	Marksville, Louisiana, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	3
26 Oct 1971	Cessna 185 N9881X	Hovland, Minnesota, United States no coordinates	Lake Superior	Fatal	3
27 Feb 1968	Cessna 185A N1626Z	Puntlla, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Matanuska Elec	Fatal	3
30 Apr 2023	Cessna 185 PP-NIK	Sao Paulo, Brazil no coordinates	-	Fatal	2
4 Feb 2021	Cessna 185 N9725Z	Chitina, Alaska, United States	Copper Valley Air Service	Fatal	2
1 Jun 2005	Cessna 185 HK-3014	Neiva, Colombia	Saer	Fatal	2
9 Aug 2003	Cessna 185F HK-1661P	Prto. Echeverry, Colombia no coordinates	Elizabeth Villamarin Diaz	Fatal	2
9 Apr 1998	Cessna 185F N5485R	Nightmute, Alaska, United States	Alaska Native Health Service	Fatal	2
23 Oct 1997	Cessna 185A N714	Damascus, Oregon, United States	Roger C. Snyder	Fatal	2
9 Apr 1997	Cessna 185 N59AK	Tatitlek, Alaska, United States	-	Fatal	2
30 Nov 1996	Cessna 185 N93829	Marshall, Alaska, United States	Hageland Aviation Services In.	Fatal	2
14 Sep 1995	Cessna 185 N90033	Petersburg, Alaska, United States	-	Fatal	2
22 Sep 1993	Cessna 185A N4176Y	De Borgia, Montana, United States	McAdams, John A.	Fatal	2
2 Jul 1990	Cessna 185 N185KA	Iliamna, Alaska, United States	Kaylor, Ronald W.	Fatal	2
7 Dec 1986	Cessna 185D N5878T	Hammonton, New Jersey, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	2
21 Sep 1983	Cessna 185 N4559F	Valdez, Alaska, United States	Kenneth C. Sumey, Columbia Air	Fatal	2
24 Apr 1983	Cessna 185F N29968	Pillager, Minnesota, United States	-	Fatal	2
15 Dec 1981	Cessna 185 N4311R	Mt McKinley, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Hudson Air SVC	Fatal	2
25 Aug 1981	Cessna 185 N8626Q	Wales, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Lost River MIN	Fatal	2
15 Jan 1977	Cessna 185D N1507F	Jennings, Louisiana, United States no coordinates	-	Fatal	2
22 Sep 1974	Cessna 185 N70026	Fairbanks, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Frontier Flyin	Fatal	2
2 Mar 1971	Cessna 185 N9844X	Corona, California, United States no coordinates	Missionary AVI	Fatal	2
26 Nov 1968	Cessna 185 N2202T	Point Baker, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Stikine Air SE	Fatal	2
17 Apr 1964	Cessna 185 N9984X	Elim Alas, Alaska, United States no coordinates	Wien Alaska Airlines, Inc.	Fatal	2
28 May 2007	Cessna 185 N9434N	Wilbur, Washington, United States	-	Fatal	1
17 Oct 2005	Cessna 185 N9222H	Limestone Lake, Canada	George F. Kalmbach	Fatal	1
5 Dec 2004	Cessna 185F N532PC	Renton, Washington, United States	-	Fatal	1
10 Aug 2001	Cessna 185 N4849C	Tyonek, Alaska, United States	-	Fatal	1