Cessna 185 accident near Pilot Point, Alaska, September 4, 2002
On September 4, 2002 at about 2:30 am local time, a Cessna 185, registered N9563H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pilot Point, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for P-factor, and his failure to abort the takeoff which resulted in a collision with trees during the takeoff initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2002 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Pilot Point, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N9563H · registry record · serial 18503448
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot was departing a narrow river channel in a float-equipped airplane with a right crosswind of about 15 knots. The airplane was on-step, and the pilot attempted a step turn to the right to remain in the river channel. The pilot said that due to "P" factor, he was unable to turn to the right. He said that the river area ahead of the departure path ended at the river bank. He lowered the flaps and rotated the airplane into a climb attitude to avoid colliding with the bank. With an airspeed of about 50 knots, the pilot said he "hopped" the airplane over the river bank, but the tails of the floats collided with several trees. The airplane settled into the trees and received damage to the float assemblies and the wings.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,200 hours in all; 1,550 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,140 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 2002; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D24 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Pilot Point AK at 9:30 pm
- Destination: AKN King Salmon AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC02LA114.