Cessna 185 accident near Iliamna, Alaska, August 6, 2003
On August 6, 2003 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N185TB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Iliamna, 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance during takeoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2003 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Iliamna, 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
- N185TB · registry record · serial 18504008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was departing from a remote lake in a float-equipped airplane. During the initial climb, the airplane's right float struck the shoreline of the lake. The airplane subsequently nosed over on the bank of the lake, and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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: 1,250 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ILI Iliamna AK
- Destination: ILI Iliamna AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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.
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.