Cessna 185 accident near Kantishna, Alaska, June 14, 1985
On June 14, 1985 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N75LE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kantishna, Alaska (Abandoned Mine Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 1985 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kantishna, Alaska · Abandoned Mine Strip
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N75LE · registry record · serial 185-0870
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS ON A FLT FROM FAIRBANKS TO KANTISHNA, AK; HOWEVER, THE RWY AT KANTISHNA WAS MUDDY, SO HE ELECTED TO RETURN TO FAIRBANKS. WHILE RETURNING, HE ELECTED TO LAND AT AN ABANDONED MINE STRIP FOR A COMFORT STOP. DURING THE LANDING, A HYDRAULIC LINE TO THE RIGHT BRAKE FAILED & THAT BRAKE BECAME INOP. THE PLT INTENTIONALLY GROUND LOOPED THE ACFT TO AVOID A HEAD-ON COLLISION WITH AN EMBANKMENT. HOWEVER, THE TAIL SECTION HIT THE EMBANKMENT CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE PLT SAID THE LINE WAS LEAKING BEFORE TAKEOFF & HE HAD TIGHTENED THE FITTING. HE REPORTED THAT THE RIGID LINE'S FLARED END FAILED, PERMITTING A RAPID LOSS OF PRESSURE.
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
- Flight time: 650 hours in all; 365 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,221 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2Z5 Fairbanks AK at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 5Z5 Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 80 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N75LE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC85LA095.