Cessna 185 accident near Galena, Alaska, March 9, 2003
On March 9, 2003 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N1613M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Galena, Alaska (Galena airport). 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 failure of the airplane to climb after takeoff which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain during an aborted landing attempt.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2003 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Galena, Alaska · Galena · 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
- N1613M · registry record · serial 018501833
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that following an intersection departure, the airplane stopped climbing when it was about 50 feet above the runway. He said that the airplane's engine appeared to be producing full power, but the airplane still would not climb. As the airplane neared the end of the runway, the pilot closed the engine throttle in an effort to abort the takeoff, and land on the remaining runway. The airplane descended, and as the airplane's main landing gear struck the surface of the runway, the left main landing gear collapsed. The airplane's left wing struck the runway, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway, into an area of snow-covered terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. An FAA aviation safety inspector examined the airplane, and reported that no airframe or engine preaccident mechanical anomalies were discovered. The inspector reported that the propeller assembly had been removed prior to his arrival. Under the direction of the NTSB IIC, the propeller assembly was disassembled and inspected. No preimpact mechanical anomalies were noted during the examination.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,457 hours in all; 1,142 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 2,332 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 28, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,270 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 2002; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAGA Galena AK at 12:30 pm
- Destination: PAUN Unalakleet AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 06, 7,254 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 10°F (-12°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Other NTSB records under N1613M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC03LA031.