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).
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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 1985 · about 7:00 pm local time · cases in 1985
- 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N6554X on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 210 Centurion 1,526 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental I0-470E 4,724 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International · departed from
- Bethel Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC85LA187.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.