Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Big Lake, Alaska 99652
Wednesday, June 17, 1998 18:10 AKD
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane entering a steep right bank toward them from level flight about 300 feet above the ground. A commercial pilot witness in the group, who estimated the bank to be 120 degrees, said the airplane reversed direction, and leveled out prior to striking trees. Postaccident inspection disclosed no evidence of preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The pilot had moved to Alaska within the previous two weeks, and was described by his employer as excited to learn to be a bush pilot. He had accumulated six hours of experience with the owner in his float equipped 300 horsepower Cessna 185, all in the previous week.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's performance of a low level maneuver. Factors were the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, his lack of experience in the type of airplane, and his failure to maintain adequate clearance from terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/17/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1810 |
| Event Time Zone | -- |
| Event City | BIG LAKE |
| Event State | ALASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 99652 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1853 Atlantic Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ANC |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 18 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | ADT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 20000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 7000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1967 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 17 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1840 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 1 2001 5:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9982X |
| NTSB Number | ANC98FA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | Company VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | 185 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 185 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 185-0182 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3350 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 26 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 11 |
| Airframe Hours | 10579 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | KENNETH R. JONES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | HC-34 BOX 2657 |
| Aircraft Owner City | WASILLA |
| Aircraft Owner State | AK |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 99654 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MRI |
| Departure City | ANCHORAGE |
| Departure State | AK |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | ADT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BGQ |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | AK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 1 2001 5:24PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |