Cessna 185 accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, May 26, 1995
On May 26, 1995 at about 2:48 am local time, a Cessna 185, registered N1047F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO IDENTIFY UNSAFE SNOW CONDITIONS AT THE SITE. A FACTOR ASSOCIATED WITH THE ACCIDENT IS THE SOFT SNOW IN THE TAKEOFF AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 26, 1995 · about 2:48 am local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N1047F · registry record · serial 18502704
- 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 PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED ON PACKED SNOW, BUT ENCOUNTERED STICKY SNOW AT THE END OF THE LANDING SITE ON THE KAHILTNA GLACIER. THE LEFT SKI CAUGHT IN THE SNOW AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER. HE STATED THAT OTHER AIRPLANES OF THE SAME TYPE AND LOADING WERE TAKING OFF FROM THE SAME LOCATION ALL DAY. HE BELIEVED THE SNOW TURNED STICKY DUE TO TEMPERATURE INCREASE.
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: 3,000 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1995; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Doug Geeting Aviation
The flight
- Destination: TKA AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1047F 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 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 ANC95LA059.