Cessna 185 accident near Skwentna, Alaska, June 10, 1998
On June 10, 1998 at about 4:30 am local time, a Cessna 185, registered N2902Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Skwentna, Alaska. It was a personal 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 pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. Factors associated with the accident are wind gusts, and a crosswind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 1998 · about 4:30 am local time
- Place
- Skwentna, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N2902Q · registry record · serial 18503539
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot was step taxiing to the west in preparation for a departure to the south. The pilot noted that after the airplane passed beyond an area of shoreline that was protecting the airplane from a left crosswind, a sudden gust of wind lifted the left wing. The right wing struck the water, pivoted the airplane to the right, and the left wing struck the water. The right and left wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that wind conditions at the time of the accident were from varying directions with peak gusts to 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 788 hours in all; 231 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 692 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,863 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 1998; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Wasilla AK at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 ANC98LA070.