What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On may 31, 2015, about 1720 Alaska daylight time (adt), a wheel/ski equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N1694M, and tricycle gear equipped Cessna 172 airplane, N8525U, collided midair while landing at Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, Alaska. The Cessna 185 was registered to and operated by Talkeetna air taxi, inc., Talkeetna, Alaska as a visual flight rules (VFR) on-demand commercial air tour, under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulation (CFR) part 135, when the accident occurred. The commercial pilot and three of the four passengers sustained no injuries, with the fourth passenger sustaining minor injuries. The Cessna 172 was registered to arctic's air academy, LLC and operated by the student pilot as a VFR cross-country flight under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91. The student pilot and sole occupant of the airplane sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area at the time of the accident. The Cessna 185 departed Talkeetna Airport about 1456 adt for a non-stop flight seeing tour around denali national park, and a VFR flight plan was on file. The Cessna 172 departed palmer airport, palmer, Alaska, about 1625 adt destined for Talkeetna Airport with no flight plan on file. Prior to the collision both aircraft had reported their respective positions including base leg. The 185 was inbound from the north west while the 172 was inbound from the south. Each of the aircraft were together in the pattern during base/final. The Talkeetna flight service station attenadant witnessed the 172 pull up into the 185 while in final, roughly 100' above ground. After the collision, both airplanes remained joined together during and after impact with the ground. The debris field was about 460 feet long with the initial fragments located about 62 feet prior to the runway threshold. The main wreckage came to rest about five feet off of the left side of the runway.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAY 31, 2015, ABOUT 1720 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME (ADT), A WHEEL/SKI EQUIPPED CESSNA 185 AIRPLANE, N1694M, AND TRICYCLE GEAR EQUIPPED CESSNA 172 AIRPLANE, N8525U, COLLIDED MIDAIR WHILE LANDING AT TALKEETNA AIRPORT, TALKEETNA, ALASKA. THE CESSNA 185 WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY TALKEETNA AIR TAXI, INC., TALKEETNA, ALASKA AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) ON-DEMAND COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION (CFR) PART 135, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THREE OF THE FOUR PASSENGERS SUSTAINED NO INJURIES, WITH THE FOURTH PASSENGER SUSTAINING MINOR INJURIES. THE CESSNA 172 WAS REGISTERED TO ARCTIC'S AIR ACADEMY, LLC AND OPERATED BY THE STUDENT PILOT AS A VFR CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE STUDENT PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CESSNA 185 DEPARTED TALKEETNA AIRPORT ABOUT 1456 ADT FOR A NON-STOP FLIGHT SEEING TOUR AROUND DENALI NATIONAL PARK, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE. THE CESSNA 172 DEPARTED PALMER AIRPORT, PALMER, ALASKA, ABOUT 1625 ADT DESTINED FOR TALKEETNA AIRPORT WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE. PRIOR TO THE COLLISION BOTH AIRCRAFT HAD REPORTED THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS INCLUDING BASE LEG. THE 185 WAS INBOUND FROM THE NORTH WEST WHILE THE 172 WAS INBOUND FROM THE SOUTH. EACH OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE TOGETHER IN THE PATTERN DURING BASE/FINAL. THE TALKEETNA FLIGHT SERVICE STATION ATTENADANT WITNESSED THE 172 PULL UP INTO THE 185 WHILE IN FINAL, ROUGHLY 100' ABOVE GROUND. AFTER THE COLLISION, BOTH AIRPLANES REMAINED JOINED TOGETHER DURING AND AFTER IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS ABOUT 460 FEET LONG WITH THE INITIAL FRAGMENTS LOCATED ABOUT 62 FEET PRIOR TO THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD. THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST ABOUT FIVE FEET OFF OF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY.
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 aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.
Other reports on N1694M · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.