Cessna A185F accident near Kenai, Alaska, July 13, 2013
On July 13, 2013 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N93957, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Kenai, 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 pilot's loss of control of the airplane while landing in variable wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2013 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kenai, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N93957 · no longer on the register · serial 18503270
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane at an off-airport beach landing site. The pilot said that, before landing, he checked the wind conditions with pilots on the ground at the remote beach site, where he had landed many times before. He said that, after the airplane touched down, he encountered windshear in which the wind direction changed to a tailwind that got up under the airplane's tail. The pilot said that the airplane suddenly veered left, did not respond to his control inputs, and was not in a position that would enable a go-around attempt. He said that the airplane flipped over, sustaining damage to the landing gear, wing, vertical stabilizer, fuselage, and propeller. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,299 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: February 10, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,328 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 8, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAMR Anchorage AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: PAEN Kenai AK
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PAEN, 39 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.