- Date
- August 8, 2024, 10:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK · Remote airstrip
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N94260Cessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240808009939A
- Case key
- 194913
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 directional control while landing at a short remote airstrip.
Findings · 4
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, while landing at a short remote airstrip, the airplane touched down and veered left. The pilot attempted to correct with opposite rudder and brake; however, the airplane exited the left side of the airstrip into heavy vegetation. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, empennage and both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N94260
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503296
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 5,491.8
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 30, 2024 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- PAFA · Fairbanks, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 900 total · 170 in this make and model · 750 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.79 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 40 nm away
- METAR
- PAFA 082253Z 25006KT 10SM FEW018 SCT075 BKN090 OVC140 19/14 A2979 RMK AO2 RAE48 SLP091 P0000 T01940144 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.0 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.
Other investigations on N94260 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.