Cessna A185F accident near Clarks Point, Alaska, August 31, 1982
On August 31, 1982 at about 3:45 am local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N3357S, was destroyed in an accident near Clarks Point, Alaska (Clarks Point airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1982 · about 3:45 am local time
- Place
- Clarks Point, Alaska · Clarks Point · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N3357S · no longer on the register · serial 18502279
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING AT LOW ALTITUDE NEAR THE SHORE LINE OF THE BAY NEAR CLARKS POINT. AT ONE POINT IN THE FLIGHT, WHICH HAD BEEN ERRATIC SINCE TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT PULLED UP INTO A VERTICAL CLIMB STALLED AND SPUN TO THE WATER. THE PILOT WAS A STUDENT PILOT WITH LITTLE EXPERIENCE. NO MALFUNCTIONS OF THE EQUIPMENT WAS FOUND. TWO TOXICOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS OF THE PILOT'S BLOOD WERE MADE, ONE INDICATED 0.208% ALCOHOL, THE OTHER INDICATED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 226MG/DL. THERE WAS NO RECORD OF THE PILOT HAVING FLOWN BETWEEN 5/19/82 AND 8/30/83. THE STUDENT HAD NOT BEEN ENDORSED OR APPROVED TO FLY THE CESSNA 180/185 AIRPLANE.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 59 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 17 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 973 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,265 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D(24) (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DLG Dillingham AK at 7:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,730 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 113°F (45°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.