Cessna 185 accident near Barrow, Alaska, March 14, 1993
On March 14, 1993 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N61500, was substantially damaged in an accident near Barrow, Alaska. It was an aerial observation flight 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 PILOT IN COMMAND INADVERTENTLY STALLING THE AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 1993 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Barrow, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N61500 · no longer on the register · serial 18504217
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE PERFORMING A LEFT TURN AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, LOOKING AT CARIBOU, THE AIRPLANE BANKED VIOLENTLY TO THE LEFT. ALTITUDE WAS LOST AND THE LEFT WING AND LANDING GEAR STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PILOT SAID THAT THE MISHAP MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY AN INADVERTENT STALL. A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE BY COMPANY PERSONNEL DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PREEXISTING PROBLEMS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,600 hours in all; 1,620 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days; 64 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Cape Symthe Air
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -15°F (-26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 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 N61500 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.