Cessna 185 N9850X

Summary

On 12 April 1989 at about 01:30 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N9850X was involved in an accident near Trinity Lake, 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

12 April 1989 at 01:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Trinity Lake, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N9850X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anchorage → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC89LA058

Nobody was injured.

THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN ON WHICH TO LAND.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING A LATE AFTERNOON LANDING AT AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING SITE ON A SNOW COVERED LAKE. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCH DOWN, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SKI BECAME DETACHED FROM THE GEAR LEG. THE GEAR LEG WENT THROUGH THE SNOW AND INTO THE ICE BELOW, COLLAPSING THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR IN THE PROCESS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE SNOW CONDITIONS WERE EXTREMELY WET, AND THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE RIGHT MAIN SKI BECAME MIRED IN THE HEAVY SNOW, ULTIMATELY CAUSING THE SKI ATTACHMENT BOLTS TO FAIL AND ALLOWING THE GEAR LEG TO STRIKE THE ICE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.