ANC26LA032

On April 24, 2026, about 1045 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski-equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N92DC, was substantially damaged in an accident at Aniak Airport (ANI), Aniak, Alaska. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The flight was being operated as a business flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to the pilot, the airplane was departing from a rough, uneven, snow and tundra-covered site when, just before becoming airborne, the left wheel/ski assembly separated from the main landing gear (MLG) leg. Although the assembly detached from the gear leg, it remained connected to the airplane by the wheel/ski cable system. After confirming that the airplane remained controllable, the pilot elected to continue to Aniak Airport and perform an emergency landing where emergency response personnel and resources were available. While en route, he maintained a very low airspeed to prevent the dangling wheel/ski assembly from striking the wing lift strut. During the emergency landing at Aniak Airport, the left MLG leg contacted the gravel-covered runway, causing the airplane to pitch forward abruptly and overturn. The airplane came to rest inverted and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. See figure 1. Figure 1. Accident airplane following emergency landing. (Aniak Airport Operations Photo) On July 8, after the airplane wreckage was recovered to Wasilla, Alaska, a portion of the fractured spring-steel MLG leg was harvested from the wreckage and sent to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Materials Laboratory in Washington, D.C., for examination. The results of that examination are pending.