20260328002869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna A185F · Skwentna, AK · March 28, 2026

Date: March 28, 2026 · 12:00 local
Place: Skwentna, AK
Airport: Private Strip, Ak
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N94237
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC26LA022
Reported as: Cessna A185F
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 875 total

N94237Registered now · Cessna A185FS/N 18503294 · Built 1977 Airframe modelCessna A185F Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The flight was a personal flight with one passenger to the pilot’s cabin near sqwentna, Alaska. The weather conditions were day VFR and the wind was calm. The pilot stated that after touchdown, he heard a loud bang. The nose of the airplane then momentarily pitched nose up and then pitched nose down with the propeller striking the ground. The airplane spun to the right approximately 180 degrees of heading before coming to rest. The pilot and passenger egressed the aircraft without injury. The pilot stated that examination of the right landing gear and wheel ski showed the attachment hardware failed causing the landing gear axle, wheel, and ski to separate from the landing gear leg. The broken wheel ski struck the right wing and flap during the accident sequence. The tailwheel spring separated from the aft bulkhead and caused damage to it. The failed axle attachment hardware has been retained for further examination.

As the FAA filed it

THE FLIGHT WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER TO THE PILOT’S CABIN NEAR SQWENTNA, ALASKA. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE DAY VFR AND THE WIND WAS CALM. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER TOUCHDOWN, HE HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE THEN MOMENTARILY PITCHED NOSE UP AND THEN PITCHED NOSE DOWN WITH THE PROPELLER STRIKING THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SPUN TO THE RIGHT APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES OF HEADING BEFORE COMING TO REST. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY. THE PILOT STATED THAT EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR AND WHEEL SKI SHOWED THE ATTACHMENT HARDWARE FAILED CAUSING THE LANDING GEAR AXLE, WHEEL, AND SKI TO SEPARATE FROM THE LANDING GEAR LEG. THE BROKEN WHEEL SKI STRUCK THE RIGHT WING AND FLAP DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE. THE TAILWHEEL SPRING SEPARATED FROM THE AFT BULKHEAD AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO IT. THE FAILED AXLE ATTACHMENT HARDWARE HAS BEEN RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC26LA022Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportSkwentna, AKThe pilot’s loss of directional control during landing roll due to contact with wind hardened snow berm and subsequent failure of main landing gear.Mar 28, 2026 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N94237 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19880603018239ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Philipsburg, MTLost directional control on rollout. Ground looped. Gear collapsed and wing hit runway. Student carried passenger.Jun 3, 1988 · Substantial damage Accident 19780723018209ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Oak Harbor,Wa, WAR main gr tire failed.Jul 23, 1978 · Substantial damage