- Date
- September 6, 1989, 17:30 local (Sep 7, 1989, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Tanacross, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4838CCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890906033899A
- Case key
- 5123
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
Poor judgement by the pilot by buzzing the airport and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance above the terrain. The pilot's use of abrupt maneuvers was a contributing factor.
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
After rtrng fm a hunting trip, the plt was preparing to fly to another location. Someone asked him if it would be permissible to film his takeoff by mounting a camera in the takeoff area. The plt agreed, but elected to use the taxiway (twy) to film the takeoff. The camera was mounted in the middle of the twy. After the plt took off over the camera, he turned back & flew across the arpt at a relatively low alt. The acft then entered a steep climbing turn. One witness said the plt then 'executed the one-half roll to the right to upside down, turn back and down . . . Parallelto the large runway.' Subsequently, the acft crashed on the runway & began burning. It was demolished by impact & fire. No preimpact mechanical problems were found drg the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4838C
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502606
- Airframe hours
- 2,978
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Warbelow, Charles, doing business as 40 Mile Air Ltd.
- Registered owner
- 40 Mile Air, Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 9, 1989 · 87 hours before
- Departed
- TSG
- Destination
- TJK · Tok, AK
- Airport
- TSG · Tanacross, runway 12, 5,000 × 150 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 52 in this make and model · 1,200 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
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 N4838C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.