Cessna 185 N9855X

Summary

On 4 August 2023 at about 18:01 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N9855X was involved in an accident near Iliamna, Alaska, United States. 4 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

4 August 2023 at 18:01

Classification

Accident

Location

Iliamna, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.2067, -154.9690

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N9855X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

King Salmon → Kokhanok

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC23LA059

Nobody was injured.

The passenger’s inadvertent application of brakes during landing that resulted in a nose over.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that before landing at a remote tundra airstrip, he put his heels on the floor with his toes off the brake portion of the rudder pedals. Shortly after touching down, the front seat passenger inadvertently applied pressure to the brake pedals, and the airplane suddenly and violently nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, vertical stabilizer, rudder and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, nor did he brief his passenger on the risk of interfering with the brake pedals.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.