Cessna 185 accident near Russian Mission, Alaska, February 26, 2005
On February 26, 2005 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N80449, was substantially damaged in an accident near Russian Mission, 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 misjudged landing flare during landing, which resulted in a hard landing and structural damage to the fuselage when the left main landing gear collapsed. A factor associated with the accident is pressure placed upon the pilot by the conditions/events (leaking gas in the cargo compartment).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2005 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Russian Mission, 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
- N80449 · registry record · serial 18503119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he flared too high while landing his wheel-ski equipped airplane on a remote, frozen river. The airplane subsequently landed hard, and collapsed the left main landing gear, resulting in structural damage to the airplane fuselage and the main landing gear's left gear box. He noted that part of his cargo was a gasoline-powered ice auger, and it was leaking fuel. He said he rushed his landing approach to get the airplane on the ground and remove the auger.
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: 1,900 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 29, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,902 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2004; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BET Bethel AK at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Russian Mission AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°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.