Cessna 185E accident near Mcgrath, Alaska, July 15, 1998
On July 15, 1998 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 185E, registered N2750J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcgrath, Alaska. It was a personal 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 loss of engine power for a undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 1998 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Mcgrath, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185E · all 185Es on the register
- Registration
- N2750J · no longer on the register · serial 1851500
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying the airplane to a repair station for an inspection of the engine. He had noticed metal particulate matter in the engine oil during the last oil change, and felt the engine needed a mechanical inspection. While climbing to cruise, the engine shuddered, and lost all power. The pilot said he was unable to return to his departure airport, and made a forced landing on a dirt road. The airplane struck trees along the road, and received substantial damage. The airplane is in a remote location, and has not been recovered, or inspected by the NTSB.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,168 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 207 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 6,990 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,360 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 8, 1998; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,935 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MCG at 7:50 pm
- Destination: PAQ Palmer AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from MCG, 270 miles away
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.