# NTSB ANC05TA022: Cessna 185, N9452N, Eek, AK, January 19, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Final report - Date: January 19, 2005, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Eek, AK - Coordinates: 60.210411, -162.029968 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.2104&lon=-162.0300&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 31, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: Anchorage FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 60891 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC05TA022 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60891/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC05TA022 ## Probable cause The pilot's inadequate evaluation of weather conditions, which resulted in an on ground encounter with terrain during the landing roll. Factors associated with the accident were a tailwind, and snow-covered, icy terrain conditions. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - weather evaluation - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - weather condition - tailwind (contributing factor) - terrain condition - icy (contributing factor) - On ground/water encounter with terrain/water, landing - roll - terrain condition - snow covered (contributing factor) ## Analysis The private certificated pilot, a Fish and Wildlife Protection Officer, and the passenger, a State Trooper, were utilizing a wheel/ski-equipped airplane to conduct surveillance activities of hunters. The pilot was landing to the west on the hard packed snow and ice-covered lake, which he thought would required a correction for a left crosswind. After landing, as the airplane neared the end of its 950 long landing roll, the nose of the airplane veered to the left, and the airplane began to slide sideways. The airplane turned about 90 degrees to the left, and the right ski dug into the snow. The right wing and right stabilizer subsequently struck the surface of the frozen lake. The pilot noted in his written report: "As I exited the pilot's side of the aircraft, I was extremely surprised to find that the wind was actually a left quartering tailwind, at about 15 knots." The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right stabilizer. There were no preaccident mechanical anomalies noted with the airplane. ## Factual narrative On January 19, 2005, about 1330 Alaska standard time, a wheel/ski equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N9452N, sustained substantial damage while landing on a frozen, snow-covered lake, about 70 miles east of Eek, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country public use flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the State of Alaska, Department of Public Safety, Anchorage, Alaska. The private certificated pilot, a Fish and Wildlife Protection Officer, and the passenger, an Alaska State Trooper, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and VFR flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Bethel Airport, Bethel, Alaska, about 1200. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on January 20, the supervisor for the State of Alaska's aircraft section reported that the pilot and passenger were en route to Heart Lake to conduct surveillance activities of caribou hunters in the area. The supervisor said that the pilot was landing on the snow-covered lake, with the airplane's skis selected to the down position. He said that during the landing roll, the airplane's right ski dug into the snow, and the right wing and right stabilizer struck the surface of the frozen lake. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right stabilizer. According to the pilot's written statement that was included with the NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2) and submitted by the State of Alaska, the pilot reported that he was landing to the west on the hard packed snow and ice-covered lake, which he thought would required a correction for a left crosswind. He said that after landing, and as the airplane neared the end of its 950 long landing roll, the nose of the airplane veered to the left, and the airplane's skis began to slide sideways atop the hard packed snow-covered ice. Unable to correct the veer, the airplane eventually turned about 90 degrees to the left, and the right ski dug into the snow. The right wing and right stabilizer subsequently struck the surface of the frozen lake. The pilot noted in his written report: "As I exited the pilot's side of the aircraft, I was extremely surprised to find that the wind was actually a left quartering tailwind, at about 15 knots." The NTSB Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report did not disclose any preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9452N](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9452N), registered now, S/N 18504359, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 185 - Registry model: [Cessna A185F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185f) (registry code 2072821) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18504359 - Airframe hours: 5277.5 - Engines: Continental O-520-D 300 hp reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft, Part 91 - Registered owner: Alaska Dept. of Public Safety - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, October 1, 2004, 60.2 hours before - Departed: BET, BETHEL, AK - Destination: Eek, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 1,500 total, 1,400 as pilot in command, 28 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 15 knots - Visibility: 25 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 10 °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 20050119001749A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050119001749A), Jan 19, 2005: Cessna A185F, Eek, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) The pilot stated that he approached to land with a 60 knot threshold speed, with a 13 knot headwind, with full flaps deployed, and the skis in the down… 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.