Cessna 185 accident near Palmer, Alaska, May 6, 2020
On May 6, 2020 at about 3:00 am local time, a 1969 Cessna 185, registered N185SZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Palmer, 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to attempt to " water ski" atop a remote river in a wheel-equipped airplane, resulting in a loss of control and a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 6, 2020 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Palmer, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185, built 1969 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N185SZ · registry record · serial 185-1589
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that at the time of the accident he was practicing a “water ski” maneuver on the open waters of a remote river in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. The water ski maneuver involves the airplane's main wheels touching the surface of the water while maintaining flying speed. The pilot added that while maintaining about 90 knots indicated airspeed, with the main landing gear wheels “water-skiing” across the surface of the water, he recognized that there was additional drag being placed on the wheels, and the airspeed began to decay. In response, he added engine power, but the airspeed continued to rapidly decay, and the main wheels subsequently settled into the water, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and engine mounts. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 555 hours in all; 244 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 496 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 2, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,013.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 2020; 3 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 806 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK24 Chugiak AK at 2:30 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 60°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:30 pm from PAAQ, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC20CA049.