- Date
- June 30, 1989, 18:05 local (Jul 1, 1989, 02:05 UTC)
- Place
- Dillingham, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N6305ECessna 185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890701019039A
- Case key
- 5215
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot & a strong downdraft.
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 plt of a float plane rprtd that he made a low pass over a beach at 100' AGL to check for a future wheel landing area. Reportedly, the acft encountered a downdraft drg the low pass that exceeded its climb capability. Subsequently, it impacted on the beach at an airspeed of about 90 KTS & nosed over. The front seat occupants of the acft believed that use of the shoulder harnesses probably saved their lives.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6305E
- Reported as
- Cessna 185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850422
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hotchkiss, Lee A.
- Registered owner
- Lee A Hotchkiss
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- DLG · Dillingham, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 50
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 4,500 total · 4,200 in this make and model · 4,500 as pilot in command · 220 in the last 90 days · 130 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 60 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point -0 °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 N6305E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.