- Date
- September 4, 1991, 19:00 local (Sep 5, 1991, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9974XCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19910904039769A
- Case key
- 5619
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
Was the pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during the takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the downdraft and unfavorable wind.
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
During the takeoff and initial climbout, a downdraft pushed the airplane back onto the lake. Shortly thereafter the airplane struck a rock at the end of the lake and flipped over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9974X
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850174
- Airframe hours
- 4,013
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- James K. Bailey
- Registered owner
- James K. Bailey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 5, 1990 · 160 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Stephan Lake, AK
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
- 51
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,693 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 4,693 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 25 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 37 °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 N9974X · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.