- Date
- March 27, 1997, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Chugiak, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4855CCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970327003839A
- Case key
- 2975
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 improper installation of the main landing gear wheel penetration skis, which allowed the skis to rotate to a vertical position in flight and subsequently separate during landing.
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, a licensed aviation mechanic, had just installed wheel penetration skis on the main landing gear of his personal airplane. During a subsequent test flight, the skis immediately rotated nose up to a near vertical position. The pilot continued around the traffic pattern, and landed in snow just prior to the start of the runway. The skis failed to come out of the near vertical position, and during the landing roll, one ski broke off, causing the gear leg to penetrate the snow, which allowed the right wing and elevator to strike the snow. Postaccident examination of the skis disclosed the ski check cables at the heel of the skis were excessively long.
Factual narrative
On March 27, 1997, about 1400 Alaska standard time, N4855C, a Cessna 185 airplane equipped with wheel penetration skis, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Birchwood Airport, Chugiak, Alaska. The solo commercial pilot was not injured. The local, 14 CFR Part 91 postmaintenance test flight operated in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
The pilot, who is the owner of the airplane and also a certificated aviation mechanic, reported he had just installed wheel penetration skis on the airplane, and was taking the airplane for a short flight to test the skis. As soon as the airplane lifted off runway 19, he said the ski tips rotated full up, into a nearly vertical position. He maintained full power, and was able to fly the airplane around the traffic pattern and land on the snow covered terrain just short of the approach end of runway 01. The skis failed to rotate down to a normal position upon touchdown, and the airplane continued down the runway for about 100 feet. The pilot said as the airplane slowed, side loads on the right main landing gear ski caused the ski to break free of the main landing gear, and allowed the gear leg to penetrate the snow. After the right gear leg penetrated the snow, the right wing and elevator struck the snow, causing substantial damage.
Postaccident inspection of the airplane's ski assemblies disclosed excessively long check cables which attach near the heel of the skis and prevent the ski tips from pitching up too far.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4855C
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502623
- Airframe hours
- 1,826
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Herbert W. Hancock
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 20, 1997 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- BCV
- Airport
- BCV · Birchwood, runway 1, 4,010 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 59
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,527 total · 500 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- 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.