Cessna 185 N185CF

Summary

On 1 September 2002 at about 17:00 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N185CF was involved in an accident near Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 September 2002 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.1117, -154.6717

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N185CF

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Alsworth → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC02LA110

3 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the area weather conditions, and his subsequent inability to maintain terrain clearance upon encountering a downdraft, which resulted in an in-flight collision with tree-covered mountainous terrain. A factor in the accident was a downdraft.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot departed a remote lake in a float-equipped airplane, en route to another lake. The route of flight crossed a mountain saddle about 5 miles from the point of departure. After takeoff, the pilot reported that he gained sufficient altitude to clear the mountain saddle. The pilot said that as he crossed the saddle, the airplane encountered a violent downdraft that unexpectedly resulted in a loss of several hundred feet of altitude. He said he was unable to arrest the airplane's descent, and maneuvered the airplane to avoid a low hill. The airplane collided with tree-covered terrain on the side of the mountain, and then nosed over. The pilot indicated he did not obtain a weather briefing. He reported that the weather conditions included unlimited visibility, a temperature of 50 degrees F, a wind of 3 to 5 knots from the north, no precipitation, no turbulence, and little to no wind at the departure point. The area forecast indicated no significant turbulence. The closest official weather observation station was 14 miles away, and a METAR was reporting in part: Wind, calm; visibility, 20 statute miles in light rain; clouds and sky condition, 3,000 feet broken, 5,500 feet overcast; altimeter, 29.91 inHg.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.