- Date
- July 5, 2021, 22:45 local (Jul 6, 2021, 06:45 UTC)
- Place
- Kenney Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N185YTCessna 185
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20210705012679A
- Case key
- 103436
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 pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from a tree during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control and impact with terrain.
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 reported that, just after takeoff from a remote off-airport landing site, the airplane’s left wing impacted a small sapling tree which resulted in a loss of directional control. The pilot attempted to correct for the loss of control to no avail. The airplane subsequently impacted a stand of trees sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185YT
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-0145
- Airframe hours
- 6,453.2
- Engine
- Continental IO-550 D20B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 4, 2021
- Destination
- McCarthy, AK
- Airport
- PVT · Private
- 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,857.4 total · 647 in this make and model · 1,838.2 as pilot in command · 55.4 in the last 90 days · 23.9 in the last 30 days · 3.8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK, 31 nm away
- METAR
- PAGK 060553Z AUTO 16012KT 10SM FEW070 FEW090 SCT110 16/05 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP150 60000 T01610050 10222 20161 55006 TSNO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 12, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.