- Date
- August 2, 1996, 13:49 local (21:49 UTC)
- Place
- Wainwright, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N20752Cessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19960802020559A
- Case key
- 2871
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 pilot's excessive application of the brakes during the landing roll.
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 reported she was attempting to land at an off airport beach site with a load of cargo. The airplane bounced on the initial touchdown. On the following touchdown, the pilot said she became concerned about the proximity of the water at the end of the landing area and applied the brakes. The airplane decelerated, and then nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 2, 1996, about 1349 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N20752, owned and operated by Cape Smythe Air Service, sustained substantial damage while landing at Point Franklin, located about 25 miles northeast of Wainwright, Alaska. The solo airline transport certificated pilot was not injured. The 14 CFR Part 135 cargo flight operated in visual meteorological conditions. The flight originated at Barrow, Alaska, about 1300.
According to a written statement issued by the pilot, she said she was landing on hard sand in light and variable wind conditions. The airplane bounced on landing, and touched down again in a tail low attitude. She then applied the brakes because she was concerned about the water in front of her. The tail of the airplane rose, and the airplane nosed over onto the sandy landing surface.
The Director of Operations for the operator described the landing area as a section of leveled beach situated behind sand dunes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20752
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503041
- Airframe hours
- 4,040
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Cape Smythe Air Service, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 11, 1996 · 81 hours before
- Departed
- BRW · Barrow, AK
- Flight plan
- Company 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,039 total · 21 in this make and model · 2,144 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 39 °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 N20752 · 7
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.