Cessna A185F accident near Juneau, Alaska, August 9, 1999
On August 9, 1999 at about 2:52 am local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N80229, was destroyed in an accident near Juneau, Alaska (Juneau International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. Factors associated with the accident were mountainous/hilly terrain, low ceilings, the pilot's improper in-flight decision making, and the pilot's impairment from over-the-counter drugs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1999 · about 2:52 am local time
- Place
- Juneau, Alaska · Juneau International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N80229 · registry record · serial 18503105
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot obtained a weather briefing prior to departing along a coastal route he had flown several times previously. The FAA FSS briefer advised that VFR flight was not recommended due to low visibility, clouds, and rain. The pilot contacted the destination airport control tower with a position report of five miles west of the Juneau International Airport. The controller responded that the airport was VFR, but conditions were lower to the west, and that two other airplanes to the west were unable to get in due to poor weather conditions. The pilot said he would try to reach the airport from another direction. About nine minutes later, the pilot radioed he was 'turning around.' Seconds later, the controller heard an ELT signal. The airplane wreckage was located about 500 feet msl on an island, about three miles south of the destination airport. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces. A postmortem toxicology test revealed Chlorpheniramine and Dextromethorphan in the pilot's blood and urine. Chlorpheniramine may be found in a number of over-the-counter cold remedies. The warning associated with this compound states, in part: 'Do not drive or operate machinery while taking this medicine as it may cause drowsiness.' Dextromethorphan is used as a cough suppressant.
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: 3,200 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,831 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 1999; 34 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HNS Haines AK at 7:00 pm
- Destination: JNU AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,300 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PAJ, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.