Cessna 185 accident near Kenai, Alaska, July 25, 2011
On July 25, 2011 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 185, registered N9852X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Kenai, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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, resulting in the ditching and sinking of the airplane in ocean waters.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2011 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N9852X · no longer on the register · serial 185-0052
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was on an over-water leg of a cross-country flight, when the engine went to low idle rpm. Unable to restore sufficient power to remain airborne, he landed the float-equipped airplane in large ocean swells, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane landed hard, and the floats separated from the airplane. The airplane sank, and was not recovered. It is unknown what precipitated the loss of engine power.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Ditching during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Inoperative
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 598 hours in all; 431 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 598 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 19, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,478 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 9, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-470 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bear Lake AK at 7:30 pm
- Destination: PAEN Kenai AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 20 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.