Cessna A185E accident near Anchorage, Alaska, November 7, 1989
On November 7, 1989 at about 9:13 pm local time, a Cessna A185E, registered N1592F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Anchorage, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE THROTTLE CONTROL LINKAGE BECAME DISCONNECTED ON THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. DARKNESS AND HIGH VEGETATION WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 1989 · about 9:13 pm local time · cases in 1989
- Place
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N1592F · registry record · serial 1850974
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 1989; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI at 8:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 020° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 1°F (-17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1592F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1592F on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna A185 Skywagon 1,373 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-520 9,482 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Merrill Field · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N1592F 3 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC90FA010.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.