Cessna 185 N4056Y

Summary

On 27 November 1987 at about 19:43 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N4056Y was involved in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

27 November 1987 at 19:43

Classification

Accident

Location

Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Fairbanks Int'l (FAI)

Coordinates

64.8097, -147.7205

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N4056Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Fairbanks

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ANC88FA021

3 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE RETURNING FROM A HUNTING TRIP WHEN THE AIRPLANE CRASHED 7 MILES FROM THE FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE GROUND IN A VERTICAL ATTITUDE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. EVIDENCE AT THE SCENE SUGGESTS THAT THE LEFT WHEEL PENETRATION SKI HAD DEFLECTED INFLIGHT JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH. OTHER PILOTS WHO HAVE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF SKI REPORT THE DEFLECTION TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A VIOLENT PITCH DOWN OF THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT HAD NOT COMPLIED WITH AN FAA AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE DATED MAY 12, 1980, THAT THE SKIS BE MODIFIED TO PRECLUDE JUST SUCH AN OCCURRENCE. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT HAD KNOWLEDGE OF, AND FAILED TO REMOVE, 3 TENT POLES WHICH HAD FALLEN BEHIND THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. ONE OF THESE POLES AND THE ELEVATOR BELLCRANK ASSEMBLY SHOWED SIGNS OF INTERFERRENCE THAT INDICATED CONTROL BINDING.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.