Cessna 185 N9982X

Summary

On 18 June 1998 at about 02:10 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N9982X was involved in an accident near Big Lake, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 June 1998 at 02:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Big Lake, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.4592, -150.0906

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N9982X

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

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC98FA079

1 person died.

The pilot's performance of a low level maneuver. Factors were the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, his lack of experience in the type of airplane, and his failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Witnesses reported seeing the airplane entering a steep right bank toward them from level flight about 300 feet above the ground. A commercial pilot witness in the group, who estimated the bank to be 120 degrees, said the airplane reversed direction, and leveled out prior to striking trees. Postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot had moved to Alaska within the previous two weeks, and was described by his employer as excited to learn to be a bush pilot. He had accumulated six hours of experience with the owner in his float equipped 300 horsepower Cessna 185, all in the previous week.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.