- Date
- May 25, 1995, 18:48 local (May 26, 1995, 02:48 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1047FCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19950525012939A
- Case key
- 2652
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
The failure of the pilot-in-command to identify unsafe snow conditions at the site. A factor associated with the accident is the soft snow in the takeoff area.
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 the airplane accelerated on packed snow, but encountered sticky snow at the end of the landing site on the kahiltna glacier. The left ski caught in the snow and the aircraft nosed over. He stated that other airplanes of the same type and loading were taking off from the same location all day. He believed the snow turned sticky due to temperature increase.
Factual narrative
On May 25, 1995, about 1848 hours Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski equipped Cessna A185F, N1047F, crashed during takeoff from a remote landing site in Denali National Park, about 50 miles northwest of Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country on-demand passenger flight under Title 14 CFR Part 135 when the accident occurred. The airplane, operated by Doug Geeting Aviation, Talkeetna, Alaska, received substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. A VFR flight plan was filed. The takeoff was the beginning of the return portion of the flight that departed Talkeetna about 1715.
The National Park Service reported that the flight was departing a landing site located at the 7,000 feet level of the Kahiltna Glacier. The purpose of the flight was to transport climbers from the Mount McKinley base camp. The airplane was departing downhill from an area that had been packed down by other aircraft. Recent heavy snows had deposited about 6 feet of new snow on the glacier. During the takeoff roll, the accident airplane encountered an area of soft snow and nosed over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1047F
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502704
- Airframe hours
- 6,000
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Doug Geeting Aviation
- Registered owner
- Douglas E. Geeting
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 1995 · 63 hours before
- Destination
- TKA · 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 800 in this make and model · 2,800 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F
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 N1047F · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.