Cessna 195B accident near North Pole, Alaska, October 17, 2003
On October 17, 2003 at about 1:45 am local time, a Cessna 195B, registered N3050B, was substantially damaged in an accident near North Pole, Alaska (Bradley Sky Ranch airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A fracture of the left brake master cylinder actuator rod, which resulted in failure of the left brake, a loss of directional control and an inadvertent ground loop during landing, and the separation of the left main landing gear strut due to fatigue. Factors contributing to the accident were the manufacturer's and the FAA's insufficient standards/requirements for inspection procedures of spring steel landing gear struts.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2003 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- North Pole, Alaska · Bradley Sky Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 195B · all 195Bs on the register
- Registration
- N3050B · registry record · serial 7933
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was landing a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a gravel surface runway. During the landing roll, with about 35 knots of airspeed, the airplane began to drift to the right. The pilot said he applied left brake pressure, but the pedal went to the floor without producing any braking action from the left brake. The airplane departed off the right side of the runway and ground looped to the right. The left main gear strut fractured, just outboard from the fuselage, and the left wing struck the ground. The airplane received damage to the fuselage and the left wing. An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident site, and reported that the actuator rod, connecting the left brake pedal to the left brake master cylinder, was fractured. The point of separation had flat fracture planes oriented 90 degrees to the long axis of the rod. The FAA inspector also examined and photographed the separated left main landing gear strut. The point of separation was oriented perpendicular to the span of the gear strut. Visual examination of the fracture surface of the gear strut revealed flat fracture planes with multiple beach marks radiating in successive arc patterns from the outer edges of the strut. The landing gear on the accident airplane is a spring steel strut that is bolted to the fuselage at its upper end. Neither the manufacturer nor the FAA, have established a life limit (hours or cycles) for the main landing gear strut. No inspection procedures, other than a general visual inspection of the landing gear, have been specified by the manufacturer or the FAA.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,043 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 904 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 17, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,495 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2003; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jacobs R-755 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: North Pole AK at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 95Z North Pole AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 3,400 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.