Cessna A185F accident near Haines, Alaska, May 2, 2007
On May 2, 2007 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N185M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Haines, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The main landing gear attachment bolts to the right ski sheared during the landing roll in deep snow, resulting in a nose down, and structural damage to the right wing and aileron.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 2007 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Haines, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N185M · registry record · serial 18504264
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was being operated by a mountain flying service delivering climbers and their equipment to a glacier base camp, under Title 14, CFR Part 135. The commercial certificated pilot said during the landing roll on the glacier, while turning to the left, the right ski loaded up with snow. He said the ski attachment to the right main landing gear broke, and the gear leg dug into the snow. The airplane nosed down, and the right wing struck the surface of the glacier, damaging the wing and aileron. The pilot said an examination of the landing gear revealed that the ski attaching bolts had sheared. He said he had made several trips to the glacier that day, and that there were no problems with the airplane or the landing gear prior to the accident.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,700 hours in all; 7,300 in this make and model; 37 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,539 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 3,525 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAHN Haines AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Haines AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Other NTSB records under N185M the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ANC07LA035.