Cessna A185F accident near Palmer, Alaska, April 1, 2015
On April 1, 2015 at about 5:15 pm local time, a 1973 Cessna A185F, registered N3885Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Palmer, Alaska (Palmer Muni airport). 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 directional control during landing, resulting in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2015 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · Palmer Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F F, built 1973 · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3885Q · registry record · serial 18502207
- 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 to the south on a gravel runway in his tailwheel-equipped Cessna 185 airplane. During the landing rollout, a wind gust from the east was encountered and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. The airplane entered a ground loop, sustaining substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot stated there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies 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 defining event
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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 111 hours in all; 111 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 49 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 11, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,020.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 16, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-520D (piston); 2,874 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SKW Skwentna AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: PAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 16S, 1,560 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PAAQ
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.