Cessna 185E accident near Igiugig, AK
On August 27, 1997, a Cessna 185E (airplane) was involved in an accident near Igiugig, AK. 3 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 27, 1997
- Place
- Igiugig, AK
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185E · Airplane
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 3 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 58.751°N, 156.541°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X08543
NTSB summary
On August 26, 1997, about 2210 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 185E airplane, N2743J, collided with terrain while maneuvering for landing on a remote river, about five miles south of Igiugig, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to Kraft Adventures Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, was destroyed. The certificated private pilot and two passengers received serious injuries. One passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The pilot sustained serious head trauma. He reported he did not remember the accident. A witness on the ground, reported the airplane flew at a low altitude over the pilot's fishing lodge, located on the Kvichak River lodge, and then made a climbing right turn back toward the river area. This maneuver was described as a normal type of event in which the pilot could alert the occupants of the lodge of the airplane's arrival. The pilot would then land on the river and taxi to the lodge boat dock. The witness indicated the airplane began the turn about 200 feet above the ground. During the turn, the nose of the airplane suddenly dropped toward the ground. The airplane then descended, out of view, behind several trees. The front seat passenger reported that all the occupants of the airplane worked at the pilot's fishing lodge, located on the Kvichak River. The flight originated from the Big River area where the flight departed about 1 hour before the accident. The flight was return
Probable cause
failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, during a maneuvering turn at low altitude, which resulted in an accelerated stall and subsequent collision with the terrain. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of altitude to recover from the stall.
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Browse: Alaska · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
