Cessna 185 accident near Kenney Lake, Alaska, July 6, 2021
On July 6, 2021 at about 6:45 am local time, a Cessna 185, registered N185YT, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Kenney Lake, Alaska (Private 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 failure to maintain adequate clearance from a tree during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2021 · about 6:45 am local time
- Place
- Kenney Lake, Alaska · Private · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N185YT · registry record · serial 185-0145
- 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, just after takeoff from a remote off-airport landing site, the airplane’s left wing impacted a small sapling tree which resulted in a loss of directional control. The pilot attempted to correct for the loss of control to no avail. The airplane subsequently impacted a stand of trees sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,857.4 hours in all; 647 in this make and model; 55.4 in the last 90 days; 23.9 in the last 30 days; 1,838.2 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 14, 2021
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,453.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 4, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 3,525 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550 D20B (piston); 296 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Mccarthy AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PAGK, 31 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAGK 060553Z AUTO 16012KT 10SM FEW070 FEW090 SCT110 16/05 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP150 60000 T01610050 10222 20161 55006 TSNO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 12, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo (Source Unknown) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.