Cessna 188B accident near Talkeetna, Alaska, June 8, 1998
On June 8, 1998 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cessna 188B, registered N9247G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Talkeetna, Alaska (Chelatna Airstrip airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to identify an unsafe/hazardous taxiway condition. A factor associated with this accident was the presence of rough and uneven terrain conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 1998 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Talkeetna, Alaska · Chelatna Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 188B · all 188Bs on the register
- Registration
- N9247G · no longer on the register · serial 18801435T
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had unloaded his cargo of fuel oil, and was preparing to depart the remote airstrip. While back taxiing prior to departure, the airplane's left main wheel hit a hole in the center of the airstrip. The airplane's tail veered to the right, and the left main gear leg collapsed. The left wing struck the runway and sustained substantial damage. The pilot said there were no preimpact mechanical difficulties with the airplane.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 3,820 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 1997; 200 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D23 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UUO Willow AK at 1:00 pm
- Runway 9, 1,800 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; ovct at 800 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.