Cessna A185F accident near Goose Bay, Alaska, April 23, 1993
On April 23, 1993 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N5077G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goose Bay, Alaska (Goose Bay airport). It was an instructional 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 INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S DELAY OF REMEDIAL ACTION DURING THE SIMULATED FORCED LANDING. FACTORS WERE THE DUAL STUDENT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER DESCENT RATE, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN PROPER ALIGNMENT WITH THE RUNWAY PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 1993 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Goose Bay, Alaska · Goose Bay · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5077G · no longer on the register · serial 18504018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND PORTION OF THE TRAFFIC PATTERN THE CFI INITIATED A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE. HE AND THE COMMERCIAL STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE'S RATE OF DESCENT INCREASED RAPIDLY. THE APPLICATION OF ENGINE POWER DID NOT ARREST THE RATE OF DESCENT BEFORE THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD. THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF TOUCHDOWN THE AIRPLANE WAS IN AN APPROXIMATE 5 DEGREE LEFT BANK. THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED AND THE LEFT WING HIT THE GROUND.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,670 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 5,452 as pilot in command; 2,485 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,647 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 18, 1992; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Alaska Wing Civil Air Patrol
The flight
- Departed from: EDF Anchorage AK at 1:50 pm
- Destination: 0
- Runway 25, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 75 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.