Cessna 185 accident near Cantwell, Alaska, July 7, 2001
On July 7, 2001 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N2248T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cantwell, Alaska. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to abort a landing resulting in an overrun. Factors in the accident were the pilot's diverted attention, and gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2001 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cantwell, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N2248T · no longer on the register · serial 185-1406
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was flying his own float-equipped airplane, as a flight of two airplanes, on a cross-country instructional flight. The second airplane in the flight, equipped with wheels, was operated by the student's flight instructor. During the flight, the weather conditions deteriorated to include light rain, gusty winds, and turbulence. The flight instructor decided to land on a gravel airstrip adjacent to a small lake because he smelled a gasoline odor in his airplane. The student pilot began a landing approach to the lake, but his first approach resulted in a go-around. On the second landing approach, the student pilot said he bounced the landing on the water,and the airplane settled onto the lake, but a wind gust lifted the airplane off the water. He said he then forced the airplane onto the water, but while doing so, he took his eyes off the shore of the lake. When the airplane finally settled onto the water, he noticed the airplane was close to the shore. He shut the engine off, but the airplane hit the beach, and came to rest in an area of muskeg, about 40 feet from the shoreline. The front float attach points were broken during the collision with the shore, and the airplane fuselage pivoted downward. The airplane received damage to the floats, engine cowling and propeller, the fuselage and wings. The student reported the weather conditions had gusty winds up to 25 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,320 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Cantwell AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 315° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 5:58 pm from PATW, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N2248T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.