Cessna 185F accident near Anchorage, Alaska, April 28, 2005
On April 28, 2005 at about 2:09 am local time, a Cessna 185F, registered N2658S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, 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
A total loss of engine power during descent due to a loose mixture control linkage, and the pilot/owner's failure to maintain the airplane's annual inspection schedule, which resulted in a forced landing in an area that contained power lines and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 2005 · about 2:09 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2658S · no longer on the register · serial 18502260
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot, with two passengers, was preparing to land following a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. The pilot said that as the airplane descended to about 1,000 msl, all engine power was lost. In an attempt to restore engine power, he switched the airplane's fuel tank selector valve from the "both" position to the "left", then to the "right" position, and back to "both." The pilot noted that he did not activate the airplane's auxiliary fuel pump while he was switching fuel tanks. The pilot selected a small open area that was surrounded by trees and power lines for a forced landing. During the landing approach, the airplane collided with the power lines and trees, receiving substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage. The accident airplane's maximum fuel capacity is 84 gallons, with 78 gallons of usable fuel. The unusable fuel is 6 gallons, or 3 gallons per side. During an on-site postaccident inspection, about 6 gallons of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank, and about 1.5 gallons of fuel from the left fuel tank. A postaccident engine examination revealed that the brass, fuel control-mounted mixture control lever, was loose on the mixture control shaft. The mixture control shaft was in the closed (off) position. Once the fuel control shaft was manually moved to the open position, the engine was started and operated at various power settings for an extended time. The engine produced its full rated rpm. According to an FAA airworthiness inspector, the accident airplane was about 10 months overdue for an annual inspection, and the mixture control linkage is an item required to be checked during the annual inspection.
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: 6,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,726.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2003; 111.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 8:09 pm
- Destination: MRI Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from MRI, 2 miles away
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.