Cessna A185F accident near Ketchikan, AK
On August 6, 1998, a Cessna A185F (airplane) was involved in an accident near Ketchikan, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- August 6, 1998
- Place
- Ketchikan, AK
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 55.609°N, 131.579°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10736
Official records · ANC98FA116
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 5, 1998, at 1605 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna A185F airplane, N5314R, was destroyed when it impacted terrain about 24 miles northeast of Ketchikan, Alaska, at position 55 degrees 30.98 minutes North latitude, 131 degrees 01.17 minutes West longitude. The commercial pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The remaining passenger sustained fatal injuries. The flight was operated under 14 CFR Part 135, by Taquan Air Service, Inc., of Ketchikan, as an on-demand sightseeing flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The flight departed the Ketchikan Downtown Seaplane Base at 1455, on a planned 1.5 hour sightseeing tour of Misty Fjords National Monument. Company dispatchers began attempting to contact the airplane at 1630, and declared the flight overdue at 1655. Pilots in the area of the accident site reported hearing an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal on 121.5 MHz. The wreckage was located at 1742. The pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) during an interview on August 6, that they had flown for 40 to 45 minutes, and landed at the confluence of the East Arm, and the West Arm, of Rudyerd Bay, locally referred to as "The Y." A normal part of the tour was to land on the water along the route, and allow passengers out on the floats to take photographs. To do this, the pilot had to slide his seat aft, get out, and allow the right front seat passenger to exit. He indicated that when he did so, he pinched the feet of the rear seat
Probable cause
Fuel starvation and the pilot's improper fuel tank selection. Factors associated with the accident were the pilot's failure to follow the pre-takeoff checklist and trees.
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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.
