# NTSB ANC06LA001: Cessna 185, N9950X, Iliamna, AK, October 3, 2005

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: October 2, 2005, 19:30 local (Oct 3, 2005, 03:30 UTC)
- Place: Iliamna, AK
- Coordinates: 59.749721, -155.437774
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=59.7497&lon=-155.4378&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report April 25, 2006
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- Parties: Anchorage, FSDO-03
- NTSB case key (mKey): 62599
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC06LA001
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62599/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC06LA001

## Probable cause

The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection, which failed to detect water-contaminated fuel, resulting in a loss of engine power during cruise flight, and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical, cruise - normal
  - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause)
  - fluid,fuel - contamination,water (cause)
- Forced landing, descent - emergency
- In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing
  - terrain condition - ground

## Analysis

The airline transport pilot was conducting a 14 CFR Part 91 personal cross-country flight, when the engine lost power about 20 miles from the final destination.  The pilot said the symptoms were similar to fuel starvation, but according to his calculations he should have had 30 minutes of fuel remaining.  In a written statement to the NTSB, the pilot wrote that the morning following the accident, before the airplane was recovered, he "noticed a substantial amount of frost/ice buildup around the left fuel vent, and on the ground from the fuel venting throughout the night," and "in my opinion it seemed to indicate that there was still a fair amount of water in the fuel that caused this ice buildup."  He wrote, "although I felt I properly drained the tanks prior to takeoff, it seems there was still water trapped in the tanks."  After recovery the airplane's engine was prepared with a new propeller and clean fuel at an aircraft maintenance facility.  The engine was started, and run through a variety of power settings, without any evidence of mechanical malfunction.  The pilot reported that during the forced landing, the landing gear was torn off, structurally damaging the fuselage.  He also stated that prior to the accident there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

## Factual narrative

On October 2, 2005, about 1930 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 185 airplane, N9950X, collided with terrain during an emergency landing following a loss of engine power during normal cruise, about 20 miles west of Iliamna, Alaska.  The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred.  The airline transport pilot and sole passenger were not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.  The flight departed from a dirt airstrip 20 miles north of Aleknagik, Alaska, about 1830.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 4, the pilot said about 20 miles west of Iliamna the engine lost power.  He said the symptoms were similar to fuel starvation, but according to his calculations he should have had 30 minutes of fuel remaining.  He said during the forced landing the landing gear was torn off, structurally damaging the fuselage.  He said prior to the accident there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

In a written statement to the NTSB dated October 16, the pilot wrote that the morning following the accident he "noticed a substantial amount of frost/ice buildup around the left fuel vent, and on the ground from the fuel venting throughout the night," and "in my opinion it seemed to indicate that there was still a fair amount of water in the fuel that caused this ice buildup."  He wrote, "although I felt I properly drained the tanks prior to takeoff, it seems there was still water trapped in the tanks."

On October 12, after recovery, the airplane's engine was prepared with a new propeller and clean fuel.  The engine was started, and run through a variety of power settings, without any evidence of mechanical malfunction.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N9950X](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9950X), registered now, S/N 185-0150, built 1961 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: Cessna 185
- Registry model: [Cessna 185](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-185) (registry code 2072802) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Continental I0-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (registry code 17027, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 185-0150
- Airframe hours: 1120
- Engines: Continental IO-470 260 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Mark Hedlund
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, February 1, 2005, 70 hours before
- Departed: Aleknagik, AK
- Destination: PAIL, Iliamna, AK

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial, military; airplane ratings: single-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 1, 2004; seat: left; flight hours: 6,925 total, 440 in this make and model, 4,550 as pilot in command, 85 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 39 °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 20051002027799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20051002027799A), Oct 2, 2005: Cessna 185, Iliamna, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) On oct. 2, 2005, about 1930 AK daylight time N9950X, piloted by [privacy data omitted] collided with the terrain during an emergency landing, about 20…

## Other investigations on N9950X (2)

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 ANC66A0034](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC66A0034), Feb 19, 1966: Cessna 185 (N9950X), Stebbins, AK, substantial damage
- [NTSB UNK64X1750](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/UNK64X1750), May 13, 1964: Cessna 185 (N9950X), Anchorage, AK, substantial damage

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.

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