What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Crashed on takeoff. (.19) on July 23, 1997, at 1400 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 185 ski equipped airplane, N9855X, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain during takeoff from the 9,600 foot level of the kahiltna glacier, Alaska, at position 63-03.4 north latitude, 151-11.0 west longitude. The commercial certificated pilot and three passengers were uninjured. The airplane was operated by hudson air service, inc., of Talkeetna, Alaska. The flight was conducted under 14 cr part 135 invisual meteorological conditions, as an on demand air taxi. The pilot stated that he departed downhill, with a 10-15 knot down-glaceir wind. The pilot stated that just after becoming airborne, with his descent rate almost arrested, the airplane contacted rising terrain, and came to rest at the 8,400 foot level. (.4) the pilot made a steep downslope, downwind, departure from a 1,000-foot-long packed snow strip at 9,500 feet MSL. The departure path was down a steep canyon. The lighting was flat, with no contrast available to see the snow covered terrain. The airplane impacted rising terrain shortly after tak eoff.
As the FAA filed it
CRASHED ON TAKEOFF. (.19) ON JULY 23, 1997, AT 1400 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 185 SKI EQUIPPED AIRPLANE, N9855X, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE 9,600 FOOT LEVEL OF THE KAHILTNA GLACIER, ALASKA, AT POSITION 63-03.4 NORTH LATITUDE, 151-11.0 WEST LONGITUDE. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE UNINJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY HUDSON AIR SERVICE, INC., OF TALKEETNA, ALASKA. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CR PART 135 INVISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, AS AN ON DEMAND AIR TAXI. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DEPARTED DOWNHILL, WITH A 10-15 KNOT DOWN-GLACEIR WIND. THE PILOT STATED THAT JUST AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, WITH HIS DESCENT RATE ALMOST ARRESTED, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED RISING TERRAIN, AND CAME TO REST AT THE 8,400 FOOT LEVEL. (.4) THE PILOT MADE A STEEP DOWNSLOPE, DOWNWIND, DEPARTURE FROM A 1,000-FOOT-LONG PACKED SNOW STRIP AT 9,500 FEET MSL. THE DEPARTURE PATH WAS DOWN A STEEP CANYON. THE LIGHTING WAS FLAT, WITH NO CONTRAST AVAILABLE TO SEE THE SNOW COVERED TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN SHORTLY AFTER TAK EOFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9855X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.