- Date
- September 7, 2013, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mentasta Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N432XCessna 185
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 4, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 88544
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilots improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was landing a tailwheel and tundra tire-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. Just before touchdown he felt the airplane sink, and added power to correct the condition, but the airplane hit hard and bounced. He recovered from the bounce, and brought the airplane to a full stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was landing a tailwheel and tundra tire-equipped airplane at an off-airport site. Just before touchdown he felt the airplane sink, and added power to correct the condition, but the airplane hit hard and bounced. He recovered from the bounce, and brought the airplane to a full stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N432X
- Reported as
- Cessna 185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850129
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 3,849
- Engine
- reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Copper Valley Air Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Copper Valley Air Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 2013
- Departed
- Mentasta Lake, AK
- Destination
- Mentasta Lake, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,826 total · 148 in this make and model · 1,740 as pilot in command · 145 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 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.64 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK, 90 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 23, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.9 MB in all.
Other investigations on N432X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.