Cessna A185 accident near Nuiqsut, AK
On May 15, 2020, a Cessna A185 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Nuiqsut, AK. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 15, 2020
- Place
- Nuiqsut, AK
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 70.735°N, 153.738°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200515X12520
Official records · ANC20LA046
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 14, 2020, about 2200 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna A185F, N5454E sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident about 72 miles northwest of Nuiqsut, Alaska. The pilot was fatally injured, and the passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand passenger flight. The flight was operated by Webster’s Flying Service as a day, visual flight rules flight to support a research project being conducted by the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The airplane had departed Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska on Wednesday May 13, 2020, and was repositioned to a cabin located on Teshekpuk Lake, North Slope Borough, Alaska, in support of the project. According to the passenger, the “Old Knarl Cabin,” located on the northwest corner of Teshekpuk Lake, was being used as a remote arctic research facility and their base of operations. One flight had been completed earlier in the day and returned to the Old Knarl Cabin at about 1700 Alaska daylight time. After dinner, the pilot checked the weather via satellite internet and filed an FAA flight plan. About 1945, they departed for multiple off-airport landing sites located in the vicinity of Teshekpuk Lake. Upon their return, they elected to fly over the North Slope Borough Wildlife Cabin located on the northern shore of Teshekpuk Lake and assess the area as a possible landing site. The cabin was overflown at an altitude estimated to be 200-300 ft above ground level (AGL) and the area was determined to be unsuitable
Probable cause
The pilot’s controlled flight into flat snow-covered terrain in weather conditions that were conducive to flat light conditions.
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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.
