Cessna 185 accident near Jago River, Alaska, July 19, 1991
On July 19, 1991, a Cessna 185, registered N1650Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jago River, Alaska (Jago River airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE DURING THE LANDING ROLL. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE WET SURFACE OF THE AIRSTRIP, THE CURVE IN THE AIRSTRIP, AND THE VEGETATION WHICH COVERED THE ENTIRE AIRSTRIP.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1991
- Place
- Jago River, Alaska · Jago River · 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
- N1650Z · registry record · serial 185-0450
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE DESTINATION WAS AN AIRSTRIP ON THE TUNDRA APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES SOUTH OF BARTER ISLAND ON THE JAGO RIVER. THE SURFACE OF THE AIRSTRIP WAS WET VEGETATION AND THE PILOT DESCRIBED THE BRAKING ACTION AS 'NIL.' THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A BERM WITH THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND IT COLLAPSED UNDER THE AIRPLANE.
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: 10,000 hours in all; 6,000 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,100 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 1, 1991; 46 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: ARC Arctic Village AK at 5:55 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 36, 950 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°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.
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 ANC91LA103.