Aviation Crash Map

Cessna 185 N1078F

30 June 2002 · Skwentna, Alaska, United States · No injuries

Summary

On 30 June 2002 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N1078F, operated by Richard C. Lathrop, was involved in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska, United States. 3 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.

The record

Date
at 17:30
Classification
Accident
Location
Skwentna, Alaska, United States
Nearest airport
Talaheim Lodge
Coordinates
61.6667, -151.3833
Aircraft
Cessna 185
Registration
N1078F
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Richard C. Lathrop
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Anchorage → Skwentna
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ANC02LA065

People

Nobody was injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
3 0 0 0 3

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point resulting in an undershoot, and an in-flight collision with a log during the landing flare. A contributing factor in the accident was a hidden obstruction.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial certificated pilot was landing the tundra tire-equipped airplane at an airstrip next to a remote lodge. The dirt surface airstrip is oriented north/south, and is about 1,200 feet long by 20 feet wide. The pilot said he was landing toward the north, and touched down about two feet short of the airstrip threshold. The right main landing gear struck a log stump that was concealed by bushes, just short of the threshold. The right main gear was torn off the airplane, and the right wing struck the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 185 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
29 Apr 2002 Cessna 185F
N8081E
Cumberland, Wisconsin, United States - No injuries -
15 Jun 2002 Cessna 185F
N333DG
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
3 Sep 2002 Cessna 185
N9808X
Seward, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
16 Aug 2002 Cessna 185A
N4145Y
Fillmore, California, United States - No injuries -
22 Jun 2002 Cessna 185
N9378H
Chugiak, Alaska, United States William Scoular Minor injuries -
25 May 2002 Cessna 185
N80994
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States Talkeetna Air Taxi Inc No injuries -

All 1,004 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
13 Jun 2002 Piper PA-18
N1888A
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States Uriah Strong No injuries -
8 Aug 2002 Williamson GLASTAR
N62849
Anchorage, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
11 Sep 2002 Cessna 180
N180TM
Tenakee Springs, Alaska, United States - No injuries -
20 Sep 2002 De Havilland DHC-2
N144Q
Bethel, Alaska, United States Ptarmigan Air No injuries -
17 Mar 2002 McDonnell Douglas MD-82
N935AS
Anchorage, Alaska, United States Alaska Airlines, Inc. No injuries -
12 Jul 2002 De Havilland DHC-2
N3129F
Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States Minta Inc Fatal 4

All 170,864 records in United States