Cessna 182A accident near Big Lake, Alaska, May 28, 2022
On May 28, 2022 at about 6:29 am local time, a 1956 Cessna 182A, registered N5896B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Big Lake, Alaska (Call Of The Wild airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
A hard landing for an unknown reason, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 2022 · about 6:29 am local time
- Place
- Big Lake, Alaska · Call Of The Wild · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A, built 1956 · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N5896B · no longer on the register · serial 33896
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Local law enforcement received a report of an airplane crash at a private airstrip, and upon arrival, discovered a substantially damaged airplane that had already been moved off the airstrip. A bystander identified the accident pilot, by name, to the officer, as the pilot was trying to stop a fuel leak from the left wing. When the officer approached, the pilot became hostile, and reported he only had a hard landing, and it was not an accident. The accident pilot subsequently left the scene. Photographs provided by the on-scene law enforcement officer depict substantial damage to the accident airplane’s fuselage, left wing, and left aileron. The pilot has not replied to multiple requests for additional information, and he did not complete and return the National Transportation Safety Board form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: unkn
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 090, 1,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from PAWS, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR PAWS 280656Z AUTO 03006KT 10SM CLR 17/M03 A2981 RMK AO2 SLP098 T01721033
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 January 30, 2023. 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 | Witness Statements | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages | 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.