Cessna 185 N9808X

Summary

On 3 September 2002 at about 00:00 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N9808X was involved in an accident near Seward, Alaska, United States. One person was 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

3 September 2002 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Seward, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.9250, -147.5167

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N9808X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Montague Island → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC02LA126

Nobody was injured.

A loss of directional control of the airplane due to the failure of the pilot to correct for torque/P Factor during the takeoff roll. A factor in the accident was a wet grass surface.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot was departing a remote grass-covered airstrip in a tundra tire-equipped airplane. The airstrip is oriented northeast/southwest, and is about 800 feet long by about 30 feet wide. The pilot said that he taxied to the end of the airstrip to depart toward the southwest. He applied full power and the airplane began to veer to the left. He said he attempted to correct the left turn by application of the right brake, but the airplane slid on the wet grass surface of the runway. The left wing struck the top of a small tree along the left side of the airstrip. The pilot indicated the airplane continued in a left arc, off the left side of the runway, and collided with a large tree. The airplane received damage to the left wing, fuselage, engine motor mounts, and propeller.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.