Cessna 180H and Piper J5A mid-air collision near Mt. Palmer, Alaska, August 25, 1985
On August 25, 1985 at about 8:00 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 180H (N417GP) and Piper J5A (N38588), were involved in a mid-air collision near Mt. Palmer, Alaska. 6 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, 1985 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Mt. Palmer, Alaska
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 180H · all 180Hs on the register
- Registration
- N417GP · registry record · serial 18051538
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Piper J5A · all J5As on the register
- Registration
- N38588 · no longer on the register · serial 5-1008
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 180H final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH PIPER J-5 AND CRASHED ON MOUNTAIN SIDE. J-5 WAS SIGHTSEEING AND CESSNA WAS SPOTTING SHEEP. TWO AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ONE-QUARTER MILE APART. SCATTERED CLOUDS WERE REPORTED ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE POINTS OF GROUND IMPACT.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Piper J5A final · quoted from the NTSB record
AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH CESSNA 180 AND CRASHED ON MOUNTAIN SIDE ABOUT ONE-QUARTER MILE APART. PIPER WAS SIGHTSEEING AND CESSNA WAS SPOTTING SHEEP. SCATTERED CLOUDS WERE REPORTED ABOUT 300 FEET ABOVE THE POINTS OF GROUND IMPACT.
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 for the Cessna 180H from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 65 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 275 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,871 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 1985; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Anchorage AK at 2:39 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
The factual record for the Piper J5A from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 325 hours in all; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 11, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 1,450 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PA0 Palmer AK at 1:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
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.