- Date
- August 22, 1992, 18:55 local (Aug 23, 1992, 02:55 UTC)
- Place
- Whittier, AK
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9829XCessna 185
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920822032619A
- Case key
- 5647
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
Pilot in command's intentional flight into known adverse weather conditions. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's disregard for adverse weather advisory, weather conditions (clouds) and mountainous terrain.
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
Pilot filed VFR flight plan for flight to remote strip eastbound via Whittier/portage pass. Approx 6 minutes after takeoff aircraft impacted at 700 ft level of pass in level flight. Fss briefings during preceeding 6 hrs included advisories of IMC weather in mountain passes, w/portage pass closed. Track of aircraft indicated aircraft was skirting left side of pass. Left wingtip struck vertical wall on heading approx 60 degrees left of pass centerline. Weather observed as 200 ft obscured and 1 and 1/2 mile visibility, with rain and fog. Witnesses 700 ft below site heard but could not see impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9829X
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-0029
- Engine
- Continental O-470-F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James R. Wirth
- Registered owner
- James R. Wirth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- AQY · Girdwood, AK
- Destination
- Softuk Strip, 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
- 34
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 5,000 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 5WT, 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.
Other investigations on N9829X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.