- Date
- November 27, 1987, 15:43 local (19:43 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4056YCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19871127070109A
- Case key
- 4944
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 pilot and his two passengers were returning from a hunting trip when the airplane crashed 7 miles from the Fairbanks international airport. The airplane struck the ground in a vertical attitude at a high rate of speed. Evidence at the scene suggests that the left wheel penetration ski had deflected inflight just prior to the crash. Other pilots who have had a similar problem with this type of ski report the deflection to be accompanied by a violent pitch down of the airplane. The pilot had not complied with an FAA airworthiness directive dated may 12, 1980, that the skis be modified to preclude just such an occurrence. Additionally, the pilot had knowledge of, and failed to remove, 3 tent poles which had fallen behind the aft baggage compartment. One of these poles and the elevator bellcrank assembly showed signs of interferrence that indicated control binding.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4056Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850256
- Airframe hours
- 2,350
- Engine
- Continental IO-470F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Berton W. Duncan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 15, 1987 · 82 hours before
- Destination
- FAI · Fairbanks, AK
- Airport
- FAI · Fairbanks Int'L
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,568 total · 175 in this make and model · 1,526 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 3 °F, dew point 1 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.