- Date
- August 26, 1997, 15:49 local (23:49 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N454CFCessna 185E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 6, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19970826023969A
- Case key
- 3054
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 failure to maintain directional control while landing the oversize tire equipped airplane on dry, newly surfaced, asphalt.
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 29-inch tundra tire equipped airplane was being landed on a dry, newly surfaced, asphalt runway. The winds were reported to be a 40 degree right crosswind at 6 knots. The pilot stated that there were no problems with the airplane, and that he allowed the airplane to veer left. The airplane departed the runway, struck a berm, and nosed over.
Factual narrative
On August 26, 1997, at 1549 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Cessna 185E airplane, N454CF, was substantially damaged when it nosed over during landing at the King Salmon Airport, King Salmon, Alaska. The airline transport certificated pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The flight originated from Seldovia, Alaska, at 1415, and operated under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed.
The airplane was landing on runway 29. At the time of the accident, 8,500 feet by 75 feet (one-half width) of runway 29 was open due to resurfacing. The runway surface was dry, newly coated, asphalt. The airplane was configured with Schneider SWS 29 x 11 x 10 inch tires. Winds were from 310 degrees at 6 knots.
The pilot stated to the NTSB investigator that during landing he allowed the airplane to swerve left and depart the runway edge. The right tire struck a dirt berm, and the airplane nosed over. He said there were no mechanical discrepancies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N454CF
- Reported as
- Cessna 185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-1247
- Airframe hours
- 4,186
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Theron A. Smith
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 25, 1997 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- SOV · Seldova, AK
- Destination
- AKN · AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- AKN · King Salmon, runway 29, 8,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 19,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 177 in the last 90 days · 62 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 65 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AKN
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.