Cessna 185 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, April 6, 1996
On April 6, 1996 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N1692M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fairbanks, Alaska (Fairbanks International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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 inadequate compensation for the wind conditions. A factor in the accident was the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1996 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Fairbanks International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N1692M · registry record · serial 18501877
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated he encountered low level turbulence during the final approach. He landed on the 'ski strip' and a gust of wind raised the left wing during the landing roll. The airplane veered to the left and the right ski broke off. The airplane continued off the side of the runway and struck a snow berm and nosed over. The pilot estimated the winds to be from 130 degrees at 11 knots with gusts to 22 knots. The Fairbanks weather observation facility showed winds were from 160 degrees at 10 knots.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 394 hours in all; 304 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 394 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 923 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 1995; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Harding Lake AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: FAI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,300 ft by 90 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:06 pm from FAI
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.
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 ANC96LA044.