Cessna 185 accident near Northway, Alaska, May 28, 1990
On May 28, 1990 at about 1:25 am local time, a Cessna 185, registered N520VA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Northway, Alaska (Northway airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE POST-LANDING TAXI.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 1990 · about 1:25 am local time
- Place
- Northway, Alaska · Northway · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N520VA · registry record · serial 18503352
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE POST-LANDING TAXI, THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED BRIEFLY TO INSIDE THE AIRPLANE, DURING WHICH THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WHEEL WENT INTO A HOLE ON THE RAMP. THE PILOT LOST CONTROL AND THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT WING HIT THE GROUND. WITNESSES STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S TAXI SPEED WAS FASTER THAN NORMAL.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,216 hours in all; 274 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 1,066 as pilot in command; 150 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 1990; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D-24 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: YXY Whitehorse at 6:55 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 4, 5,100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from ORT
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.
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.