Cessna 185 accident near Pedro Bay, Alaska, August 10, 2007
On August 10, 2007 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N3306R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pedro Bay, Alaska. It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of control during the landing roll for an unknown reason.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 2007 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pedro Bay, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N3306R · no longer on the register · serial 18502870
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was landing at a remote tidal beach site. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left, towards the water, and the pilot was unable to correct the veer. The airplane ground looped to the left, the right main landing gear leg collapsed, and the right wing struck the surface of the beach. The airplane's right wing sustained substantial damage. The airplane was not recovered before being subjected to numerous tide cycles, and the airplane was damaged extensively before a postaccident inspection could be accomplished. In his written statement to the NTSB, the pilot wrote, in part: "I suspect the tail wheel malfunctioned."
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: 12,400 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 12,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,668.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2007; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,550 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D-24 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Pedro Bay AK at 11:30 am
- Destination: Pedro Bay AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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 N3306R 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.