Cessna 172 and Cessna 185 mid-air collision near Ruth Glacier, Alaska, May 9, 1992
On May 9, 1992 at about 6:50 pm local time, 2 aircraft, Cessna 172 (N73813) and Cessna 185 (N1047F), were involved in a mid-air collision near Ruth Glacier, Alaska. No one was hurt; 10 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 FAILURE OF THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRPLANES TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT OF THE CE-172 TO BECOME AWARE OF AND TO USE THE LISTED FREQUENCY FOR INTER AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS, AND THE REDUCED VISUAL ACUITY OF THE CE-172 AGAINST THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN.
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOTS OF BOTH AIRPLANES TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT OF THE CE-172 TO BECOME AWARE OF AND TO USE THE LISTED FREQUENCY FOR INTER AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS, AND THE REDUCED VISUAL ACUITY OF THE CE-172 AGAINST THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 9, 1992 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ruth Glacier, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident · mid-air collision
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 10 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft 1
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N73813 · registry record · serial 17267693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
- Aircraft 2
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N1047F · registry record · serial 1852704
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 172 final · quoted from the NTSB record
BOTH AIRPLANES WERE ON SIGHTSEEING FLIGHTS AT ABOUT 9,200 FT MSL. THE PILOT OF THE CE-172, N73813, STATED THAT HE WAS HEADING APRX NORTHWEST, LOOKED AT MT. MCKINLEY, AND AS HE RETURNED HIS GAZE FORWARD HE SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER BEFORE THE COLLISION. THE PILOT OF THE CE-185, N1047F, STATED THAT SHE HAD JUST FINISHED MAKING A RADIO TRANSMISSION INDICATING HER POSITION WHEN SOME OF THE PAX SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE; SHE ESTIMATED THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS FLYING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND SLIGHTLY LOWER. THE ALASKA SUPPLEMENT IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE STATED THAT FREQUENCY 122.7 IS DESIGNATED FOR INTER AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS IN DENALI PARK, THE AREA IN WHICH MT. MCKINLEY IS LOCATED. THE PILOT OF THE CE-172 WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FREQUENCY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OF THE CE-185, THE CE-172 BLENDED IN WITH THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN WHICH CONSISTED OF VERTICAL GRANITE WALLS.
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 NTSB's narrative for the Cessna 185 final · quoted from the NTSB record
BOTH AIRPLANES WERE ON SIGHTSEEING FLIGHTS AT ABOUT 9,200 FT MSL. THE PILOT OF THE CE-172, N73813, STATED THAT HE WAS HEADING APRX NORTHWEST, LOOKED AT MT. MCKINLEY, AND AS HE RETURNED HIS GAZE FORWARD HE SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY HIGHER BEFORE THE COLLISION. THE PILOT OF THE CE-185, N1047F, STATED THAT SHE HAD JUST FINISHED MAKING A RADIO TRANSMISSION INDICATING HER POSITION WHEN SOME OF THE PAX SAW THE OTHER AIRPLANE; SHE ESTIMATED THE OTHER AIRPLANE WAS FLYING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND SLIGHTLY LOWER. THE ALASKA SUPPLEMENT IN EFFECT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE STATED THAT FREQUENCY 122.7 IS DESIGNATED FOR INTER AIRCRAFT COMMUNICATIONS IN DENALI PARK, THE AREA IN WHICH MT. MCKINLEY IS LOCATED. THE PILOT OF THE CE-172 WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FREQUENCY. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT OF THE CE-185, THE CE-172 BLENDED IN WITH THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN WHICH CONSISTED OF VERTICAL GRANITE WALLS.
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 for the Cessna 172 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 255 hours in all; 88 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 254 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,584 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 23, 1991; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Usaf Elmendorf Aero Club
The flight
- Departed from: EDF Elmendorf Afb AK at 12:15 pm
- Destination: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
The factual record for the Cessna 185 from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,500 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,230 as pilot in command; 1,040 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,869 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 30, 1992; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Douglas Geeting Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: TKA Talkeetna AK at 1:02 pm
- Destination: TKA Talkeetna AK
- Runway 0
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
Other NTSB records under N73813 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ANC92FA069.