Cessna A185 accident near Illiamna, Alaska, July 19, 2016
On July 19, 2016 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1971 Cessna A185, registered N85CF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Illiamna, Alaska. It was a business 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 overstress fracture of the left main landing (MLG) gear axle attachment bolts and the subsequent separation of the left MLG wheel, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to control the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2016 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Illiamna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 E, built 1971 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N85CF · registry record · serial 18501904
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot reported that he made a normal approach and landing to an unimproved landing strip and that the left main landing gear (MLG) wheel assembly separated from the landing gear leg at the axle bolts during rollout. The gear leg then dug into the gravel landing surface, which resulted in a sudden left turn, ground loop, and subsequent substantial damage to the left wing, left aileron, and elevator. The pilot and the passenger stated that it did not feel as if the airplane hit anything during the landing rollout. The pilot also stated that the initiating event may have been a crosswind landing on a hard-surfaced runway with large tundra tires earlier in the week, during which he inadvertently "put a side load on the landing gear." Postaccident examination of the left MLG axle assembly and bolts revealed that the left axle had separated from the landing gear leg due to a rearward overload event. The initial separation was due to the shearing of the forward bolt threads by tensile forces on the bolts, which was followed by the bending deformation of the aft bolts, consistent with a fore-to-aft overload.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 2, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PAIL Iliamna AK
- Destination: NONE Iliamna AK
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from PAIL, 45 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N85CF 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.