# Accident 20030309002279A: Cessna A185E, Galena, AK, March 9, 2003 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 9, 2003, 09:30 local time - Place: Galena, AK - Airport: Galena - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 64.7333° N, 156.9333° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=64.7333&lon=-156.9333&mi=10 - Aircraft: N1613M, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1613M) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna A185E (registry code 2072818, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185e) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520-D (registry code 17236, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-d) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA A185E - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,457 total, 1,142 in this make and model, 27 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC03LA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC03LA031) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030309002279A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19) ON MARCH 9, 2003, ABOUT 0930 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A WHEEL/SKI-EQUIPPED CESSNA 185 AIRPLANE, N1613M, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM THE GALENA AIRPORT, GALENA, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN SUPPORT OF THE IDITAROD TRAIL DOG SLED RACE. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT THE GALENA AIRPORT, AND WAS EN ROUTE TO UNALAKLEET, ALASKA. DURING A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON MARCH 9, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT FOLLOWING AN INTERSECTION DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 07, ABOUT 50 FEET ABOVE THE RUNWAY, THE AIRPLANE STOPPED CLIMBING. THE PILOT ADDED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE APPEARED TO BE PRODUCING FULL POWER, BUT THE AIRPLANE STILL WOULD NOT CLIMB. HE SAID THAT AS THE AIRPLANE NEARED THE END OF THE RUNWAY, HE CLOSED THE ENGINE THROTTLE IN AN EFFORT TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, AND LAND ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED, AND AS THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE SURFACE OF THE RUNWAY, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING STRUCK THE RUNWAY, AND THE AIRPLANE ULTIMATELY VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, INTO AN AREA OF SNOW-COVERED TERRAIN. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AND LEFT WING. (-23) NTSB #ANC03LA031 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED ON MARCH 9, 2003 AT 0900 LOCAL TIME THIS CESSNA 185, N1613M, WAS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 7 AT THE EDWARD G. PITKA SR. AIRPORT IN GALENA, ALASKA. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL THE PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. WHEN THE PILOT OBTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB ANY FURTHER. THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND IMPACTED THE RUNWAY AT A HIGH ENOUGH ANGLE TO STRIKE THE PROPELLER CAUSING THE PROPELLER GOVERNOR TO FAIL. THE AIRCRAFT THEN STRUCK A RUNWAY LIGHT BENDING THE LEFT WING 4 FEET FROM THE TIP. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR THEN DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST 1000 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT FACING 130 DEGREES LEFT OF THE INITI AL HEADING. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL RED HYDRAULIC FLUID FROM THE PROPELLER HUB WHICH COVERED THE WINDSHIELD, WING STRUTS, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER AND ENGINE COWLING. ONE PASSENGER HAD TO HAVE STITCHES UNDER HIS NOSE, OTHERWISE THERE WERE NO OTHER REPORTED INJURIES. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ANC03LA031](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC03LA031), Mar 9, 2003: Cessna 185 (N1613M), Galena, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of the airplane to climb after takeoff which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain during an aborted landing attempt. ## Other reports on N1613M (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19980919025419A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980919025419A), Sep 19, 1998: Cessna A185E (N1613M), Mesa, AZ, Substantial damage. (.19)On September 19, 1998, at 1736 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 185E, N1613M, veered off the runway on landing at the Falcon Field Airport, Mesa,… - [Accident 19951024039219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951024039219A), Oct 24, 1995: Cessna A185E (N1613M), Liberal, KS, Substantial damage. Left main landing gear axle broke off during taxi to ramp in high wind conditions. 120 foot skid marks on runway. - [Accident 19860730036589A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19860730036589A), Jul 30, 1986: Cessna A185E (N1613M), Tetlin, AK, Substantial damage. Aircraft bounced after hard landing. Landed hard a second time. Left runway and nosed over. Strong gusty crosswinds From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.