Cessna 185 accident near Dillingham, Alaska, June 18, 2006
On June 18, 2006 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N2217T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dillingham, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for takeoff, which resulted in the airplane's tailwheel snagging a rope during the takeoff run, and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. A factor contributing to the accident was a rope that was positioned across the departure path.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2006 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dillingham, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N2217T · registry record · serial 1369
- 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 departing from a beach in a tailwheel-equipped airplane on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. The pilot said the beach was an area he utilized for set-net fishing. He began his takeoff run between a creek and set-net ropes lying on the beach, a distance of about 550 feet. The airplane lifted off and climbed to about 10 feet, when the pilot said he felt a tug on the tail of the airplane, and realized that the tailwheel had snagged one of the ropes. The airplane pitched nose down, collided with the ground, and nosed over. The airplane received structural damage to the wings and vertical stabilizer. After the accident, the pilot said he found that when the tailwheel snagged the first rope, it pulled an adjacent rope upward, which snagged the main landing gear.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,830 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 3,800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-D15B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Dillingham AK at 6:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC06LA076.