Cessna A185F accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, May 16, 1998
On May 16, 1998 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N1473F, 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). 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot selected the wrong runway and intentionally ground looped to stop the airplane. Related factors were the tailwind and whiteout conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1998 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 3 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1473F · registry record · serial 18502851
- 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 and witnesses described the airplane touching down with a 20 knot tailwind on the last 25 percent of the approximately 600 feet long, packed snow, landing area. The pilot said that on short final he recognized the tailwind, but because of terrain there was not maneuvering room to attempt a go around. The airplane bounced, and overran the landing area. The pilot said he lost forward visibility in whiteout conditions, and intentionally ground looped the airplane to stop.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 7,800 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,190 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 3, 1997; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TKA AK at 6:19 pm
- Destination: Kahiltna Glacie AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.