- Date
- August 12, 1990, 09:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Wrangell, AK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5317RCessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900812033329A
- Case key
- 41122
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 did not maintain an adequate airspeed. The pilot's lack of recent experience in the Cessna 185 was a contributing factor.
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 purpose of the flight was for the passenger to map the coast line. Prior to the flight, the pilot and passenger agreed that the flight was to be flown at 400 ft AGL and at 75 mph. During flight, the passenger missed an area and wanted the pilot to turn around. The pilot acknowledged and began an approximate 15 degree turn to the left toward the terrain. The passenger reported that at the beginning of the turn, the pilot did not apply power. While in between two small hills, the passenger felt light turbulence then suddenly the right wing raised and the nose fell toward the ground. The pilot at this point applied full power. The airplane continued in a left descending turn and collided into the water just off shore. There were no mechanical failures or malfunctions noted with the airplane during the post crash investigation. During the last 90 days the pilot logged a total of 279 hours, all in floatplanes. Three of those hours were in the Cessna 185.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5317R
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503031
- Airframe hours
- 7,838
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Temsco Airlines
- Registered owner
- Temsco Helicopters Incorp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 25, 1990 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- PSG · Petersburg, AK
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
- 27
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,077 total · 15 in this make and model · 2,931 as pilot in command · 279 in the last 90 days · 94 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point -0 °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 N5317R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.