Cessna 185F accident near Anchorage, Alaska, June 15, 2006
On June 15, 2006 at about 3:30 am local time, a Cessna 185F, registered N714JE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power for an undetermined reason, which resulted in an emergency landing and an in-flight collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2006 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N714JE · registry record · serial 18504398
- 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 conducting a local area round-robin flight to various lakes practicing water landings under Title 14, CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, while in cruise flight, the engine lost power. The pilot said he activated the boost pump, the engine produced power again for a few seconds, and then quit completely. He reported that during the forced landing to a small lake, the airplane struck trees and landed short of the lake. The airplane's wings received structural damage. During interviews, the mechanic who removed the airplane's wings for transport, told the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) he didn't find any fuel in the wing fuel tanks. Another mechanic who removed the airplane's engine told the IIC the fuel system, including the gascolator, was intact with no signs of fuel leakage. The mechanic also said he removed less than 1 gallon of fuel from the airplane's header tank. The mechanic further stated that a visual inspection of the engine compartment did not disclose any evidence of a fuel leak. A visual examination of the airplane's exterior by the IIC did not disclose any evidence of fuel staining. In a written statement to the NTSB dated June 22, the pilot indicated that according to his fuel consumption calculations, there should have been enough fuel onboard for the proposed flight. The pilot also wrote that after recovering the airplane, he saw "fuel staining on the belly indicating fuel leaking from the gascolator."
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: 453 hours in all; 251 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,126 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2006; 19 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: PAMR Anchorage AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N714JE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.