Cessna 185 accident near Aleknagik, Alaska, July 11, 1987
On July 11, 1987 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N5430R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Aleknagik, Alaska. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- July 11, 1987 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Aleknagik, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N5430R · no longer on the register · serial 18503037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS THREE PASSENGERS WERE ON A FISHING TRIP TO A REMOTE STREAM IN SOUTHWEST ALASKA. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON A BEACH AREA NEAR THE STREAM AND NOSED THE AIRPLANE OVER. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH LARGE 'TUNDRA' TIRES THAT THE PILOT FEELS ADVERSELY AFFECTED THE AIRPLANE'S DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,910 hours in all; 780 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Aleknagik AK
- Destination: Quigmy Creek AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.