Cessna A185F N80229

Summary

On 9 August 1999 at about 02:52 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N80229 was involved in an accident near Juneau, Alaska, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 August 1999 at 02:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Juneau, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Juneau International (JNU)

Coordinates

55.6099, -131.5806

Aircraft

Cessna A185F

Registration

N80229

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Haines → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC99FA108

4 people died.

The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors associated with the accident were mountainous/hilly terrain, low ceilings, the pilot's improper in-flight decision making, and the pilot's impairment from over-the-counter drugs.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot obtained a weather briefing prior to departing along a coastal route he had flown several times previously. The FAA FSS briefer advised that VFR flight was not recommended due to low visibility, clouds, and rain. The pilot contacted the destination airport control tower with a position report of five miles west of the Juneau International Airport. The controller responded that the airport was VFR, but conditions were lower to the west, and that two other airplanes to the west were unable to get in due to poor weather conditions. The pilot said he would try to reach the airport from another direction. About nine minutes later, the pilot radioed he was 'turning around.' Seconds later, the controller heard an ELT signal. The airplane wreckage was located about 500 feet msl on an island, about three miles south of the destination airport. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. A postmortem toxicology test revealed Chlorpheniramine and Dextromethorphan in the pilot's blood and urine. Chlorpheniramine may be found in a number of over-the-counter cold remedies. The warning associated with this compound states, in part: 'Do not drive or operate machinery while taking this medicine as it may cause drowsiness.' Dextromethorphan is used as a cough suppressant.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.