Cessna 210 accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska, February 1, 1985
On February 1, 1985 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 210, registered N6554X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sparrevohn, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- February 1, 1985 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sparrevohn, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 210 · all 210s on the register
- Registration
- N6554X · registry record · serial 57554
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO SEE AND AVOID OBSTRUCTING TERRAIN. SINCE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY, THE MOUNTAINS WERE COVERED WITH SNOW AND ON AN OVERCAST DAY AND WITH THE REPORTED FOG, THE PILOT IN COMMAND EITHER FLEW INTO THE FOG, THE CLOUDS OR A WHITEOUT CONDITION. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH RISING TERRAIN DURING DESCENT.
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
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,178 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1984; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental I0-470E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 5:50 pm
- Destination: BET Bethel AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 am from BETT, 125 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 ANC85LA187.