Cessna A-185F accident near Farewell, Alaska, August 25, 1983
On August 25, 1983 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna A-185F, registered N1725R, was destroyed in an accident near Farewell, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. 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 25, 1983 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Farewell, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A-185F · all A-185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1725R · no longer on the register · serial 18502446
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN A NARROW CANYON, THE ACFT WAS HEADING IN A GENERAL DIRECTION TO LEAVE THE CANYON. THE PROPELLER DAMAGE INDICATES THE ENGINE WAS AT HIGH POWER AT IMPACT. THE PLT HAD GIVEN A PIREP TO FAREWELLFSS WHEN HE WAS 40 MILES EAST OF FAREWELL FOR PTARMIGAN PASS CEILING 500 FT AND MARGINAL VFR. THE ELEVATION WAS 2500 FT.THIS WOULD PLACE THE CEILING AT 3000 FT MSL. THIS WOULD BE 100 FT LOWER THAN THE ACCIDENT SITE AND 700 FT LOWER THAN THERIDGE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE CANYON WHERE THE CRASH OCCURRED.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 3,320 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D24 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BGQ Big Lake AK at 9:14 am
- Destination: Smith Lake AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:14 am from ANC, 155 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.