- Date
- December 19, 1983, 10:53 local (14:53 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5886TCessna C-185-D
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19831219061389A
- Case key
- 4189
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The acft crashed shortly after takeoff following a power loss. The plt stated that smoke entered the cockpit from the heat vents. He thought the smoke was from residual oil spilled on the engine during an oil change and he pulled the engine cut off mistaking it for the cabin air. The acft crash landed in a gravel pit about 1/2 mile from initial point of departure. A maintenace inspection did not reveal any preimpact failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5886T
- Reported as
- Cessna C-185-D
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-0786
- Airframe hours
- 7,755
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James R. Methaney
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1983 · 53 hours before
- Destination
- CDV · Cordova, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field, runway 6, 4,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 54
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,015 total · 2,008 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 14 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRI, 5 nm away
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 N5886T · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.