Cessna 182 accident near Nabesna, Alaska, August 8, 2005
On August 8, 2005 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N6480A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Nabesna, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable area for landing, which resulted in an on ground encounter with brush, and subsequent loss of control during an aborted landing. Factors associated with the accident were high vegetation, and a jammed elevator control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 8, 2005 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nabesna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N6480A · no longer on the register · serial 33280
- 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 landing a nose wheel-equipped airplane on a gravel-covered, off airport site that was surrounded by brush. The pilot stated he inadvertently allowed the airplane to touchdown to the right of the site, and he applied full engine power to abort the landing. As the airplane began to climb, it abruptly pitched down, and the nose wheel struck the ground. The nose wheel subsequently collapsed, and the airplane nosed over on the gravel-covered site. The pilot noted that a postaccident inspection revealed a tree branch lodged in the accident airplane's right elevator. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and horizontal stabilizer. The pilot said 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
- Flight time: 569 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 517 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCV Chugiak AK at 3:20 pm
- Destination: Nabezna 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 | 1 | 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.