Cessna 185A N4038Y

Summary

On 12 September 2010 at about 23:53 local time, a Cessna 185A registered N4038Y, operated by Robert Price, was involved in an accident near Paxson, Alaska, United States. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 September 2010 at 23:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Paxson, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.8353, -146.2353

Aircraft

Cessna 185A

Registration

N4038Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Robert Price

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Paxson → Anchorage

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC10LA087

1 person was seriously injured.

The pilot's decision to make a climbing turn close to the ground in gusting wind at a low airspeed, resulting in a loss of control and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that the float-equipped airplane had lifted off from a lake and climbed to about 200 feet above the lake level. He said that there was rising terrain ahead, which the airplane was capable of out-climbing, but his destination was behind him and he initiated a climbing left turn. He described the wind as being on the nose during takeoff, and that he initiated the climbing left turn with 70 knots of airspeed. He said a wind gust from the right increased the angle of bank to 50-60 degrees, and the airplane started to descend. During the descent, the wind rolled the airplane to the left again, but he was able to level the wings prior to the airplane impacting terrain. He reported no preexisting mechanical problems with the airplane, which sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.