- Date
- July 6, 1991, 14:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Valdez, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5081HCessna 185A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910706026079A
- Case key
- 5483
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
Loss of aircraft control for an undetermined reason during an approach to land.
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 stated that upon reaching the 20 degree flap position in preparation for landing, the airplane rapidly nosed down into an almost vertical dive. Full aft elevator failed to change the pitch attitude. The airplane crashed and sank in water about 620 feet deep and was not recovered. While the pilot reported that the airplane had 'pitched down' on several previous occasions while he was flying it, the owner and three other pilots who had flown it stated that the airplane flew normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5081H
- Reported as
- Cessna 185A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503221
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D-24, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Chitina Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
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--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VWS, 1 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.