# NTSB ANC04LA090: Cessna 185F, N61609, Wasilla, AK, August 8, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 7, 2004, 17:30 local (Aug 8, 2004, 01:30 UTC) - Place: Wasilla, AK - Coordinates: 61.571666, -149.540283 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5717&lon=-149.5403&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report February 24, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03 - NTSB case key (mKey): 59890 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC04LA090 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/59890/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA090 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to compensate for a crosswind during landing and his failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with a ditch. A factor contributing to the accident was a crosswind. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - flare/touchdown - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - crosswind (contributing factor) - directional control - not maintained, pilot in command (cause) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - ditch ## Analysis The private certificated pilot was landing with a left crosswind. At touchdown, the airplane veered to the right and departed off the right side of the runway. The airplane then collided with a ditch, and the right main landing gear strut was torn off the airplane. The airplane received structural damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and the right wing. ## Factual narrative On August 7, 2004, about 1730 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Cessna 185F airplane, N61609, sustained substantial damage when it departed off the runway and collided with a ditch during landing at the Wasilla Airport, Wasilla, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed, nor was one required. The flight departed from the Big Lake Airport, Big Lake, Alaska, about 1500. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on August 10, the pilot reported that he was landing on runway 21 at Wasilla. He said that the wind conditions consisted of a left crosswind that was blowing about 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots from about 150 degrees. He indicated that at touchdown, the airplane veered to the right and departed off the right side of the runway. The airplane then collided with a ditch, and the right main landing gear strut was torn off the airplane. The airplane received structural damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and the right wing. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N61609](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N61609), registered now, S/N 18504235, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 185F - Registry model: [Cessna A185F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185f) (registry code 2072821) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-550 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (registry code 17042, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18504235 - Airframe hours: 1847 - Engines: Continental IO550-D 315 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: George F. Kalmbach - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 4, 2003, 50 hours before - Departed: BGQ, Big Lake, AK - Destination: PAWS, Wasilla, AK - Airport: PAWS, Wasilla, runway 21, 3,700 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 75; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review April 30, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 1,000 total, 750 in this make and model, 1,000 as pilot in command, 50 in the last 90 days, 50 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 15 knots, gusting 25 - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20040807018709A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040807018709A), Aug 7, 2004: Cessna A185F, Wasilla, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) The pilot and owner of the aircraft landed on runway 24 at the Wasilla Airport with a crosswind of approximately 15 knots from 170 degrees. The pilot… ## Other investigations on N61609 (3) 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 WPR11CA406](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11CA406), Aug 21, 2011: Cessna A185F (N61609), Polson, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. - [NTSB ANC99FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99FA070), Jun 5, 1999: Cessna A185F (N61609), Soldotna, AK, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The improper recovery from a bounced water landing by the pilot. Factors associated with this accident were the pilot's failure to release his seatbelt due to the obstructed location of the pilot's… - [NTSB FTW96LA351](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA351), Aug 19, 1996: Cessna A185F (N61609), Midland, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the pilot to obtain or maintain adequate airspeed, by allowing the airplane to enter an excessive nose high attitude and an excessive rate of climb after takeoff, which resulted in an… 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. --- 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.