Cessna 185F N60859

Summary

On 19 September 1999 at about 18:30 local time, a Cessna 185F registered N60859, operated by C-Air, was involved in an accident near Pilot Point, 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

19 September 1999 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Pilot Point, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

57.5009, -157.2798

Aircraft

Cessna 185F

Registration

N60859

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

C-Air

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → King Salmon

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC99LA147

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors in the accident were the pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather conditions, a downdraft, and swampy terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot landed at a lake in a float equipped airplane. He was conducting a nonscheduled air taxi flight to retrieve moose meat and antlers. He was assisted by a non-revenue passenger. The lake is oriented east/west, about 1,900 feet long, and about 800 feet wide. The meat had been left behind the day before the accident, when the pilot transported hunting clients from the lake. The pilot departed the lake toward the west, and lifted off about 300 feet before the end of the lake. The pilot said the airplane climbed to about 50 feet above the ground, and then encountered a downdraft from mountains/hills located south of the accident scene. He said full power was already applied to the engine, but the airplane descended into soft, marshy terrain, and nosed over about 200 to 300 yards beyond the west end of the lake. The airplane received damage to the propeller, the right wing, and the left wing spar. The pilot indicated the weather conditions were, in part: Clouds and sky condition, 2,500 feet broken; wind, from the south (180 degrees) at 8 knots; visibility, 25 miles; temperature, 50 degrees F; precipitation, none; turbulence, none to light.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.