Cessna 185 accident near Talkeetna, AK
On May 28, 2003, a Cessna 185 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Talkeetna, AK. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- May 28, 2003
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 62.879°N, 151.067°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030606X00809
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 28, 2003, about 1330 Alaska daylight time, a tailwheel/ski-equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N70176, was destroyed during a collision with snow-covered glacial terrain following a loss of control during cruise flight, about 40 miles north-northwest of Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand charter flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by McKinley Air Service, Talkeetna. The airline transport pilot, and the three passengers, received fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company VFR flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, about 1253, and was en route to a mountain climbing base camp located on the Kahiltna Glacier. During an interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on May 29, the operator's office manager reported that the accident flight was the pilot's third flight of the day. She said that the purpose of all three flights was to transport climbers to a base camp located at 7,200 feet msl on the southeast fork of the Kahiltna glacier, about 48 miles northwest of Talkeetna. She added that on board the accident flight were two mountain climbers and one sightseeing passenger, who would have returned to Talkeetna on the return leg of the flight. According to other operators that were flying in the area, the accident airplane pilot transmitted a position report about 1325, stating that her airplane was over the toe of the Tokositna G
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in an inadvertent stall, an uncontrolled descent and in-flight collision with terrain. A factor associated with the accident was rising terrain.
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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.
