Cessna 185 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, September 29, 1983
On September 29, 1983, a Cessna 185, registered N185JS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- September 29, 1983
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N185JS · registry record · serial 18502504
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING TAKEOFF ROTATION, WHICH OCCURRED AT 44 KTS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO THE LEFT APPARENTLY A TORQUE STALL, CAUSING A WING STALL AND THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE ICE. THE PILOT ABORTED THE TAKEOFF AND THE RIGHT FLOAT STRUCK A MUD BANK. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A ROBERTSON STOL KIT AND THE OWNER'S MANUAL INDICATES TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE AT 59 DEG F OF 1090 FEET AND 32 KTS IAS USING ROBERTSON'S RECOMMENDED TECHNIQUE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,071 hours in all; 3,071 in this make and model; 71 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 3,000 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 725 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 8, 1982; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,320 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAI Fairbanks AK at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 25°F (-4°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.