Cessna 185 accident near Finley, North Dakota, October 3, 1996
On October 3, 1996 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N185ND, was substantially damaged in an accident near Finley, North Dakota. It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the flight instructor (CFI) to ensure that clearance from the dock was maintained, while starting to taxi. The crosswind was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 3, 1996 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Finley, North Dakota · 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
- N185ND · registry record · serial 18504369
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was parked on shore near a dock. The flight instructor (CFI) reported that after starting the engine, the airplane began to move forward, and the wing strut and wing cleared the dock. After the wing cleared the dock, the instructor began to lower the water rudders, and the tail of the airplane began moving toward the dock. A right crosswind was present during the departure from the shore. The instructor reported that full left rudder with the water rudders partially extended was ineffective in stopping the horizontal stabilizer of the airplane from hitting the dock.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,415 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 122 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 2,344 as pilot in command; 2,012 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,124 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 4, 1996; 41 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GFK Grand Forks ND at 12:30 pm
- Destination: Golden Lake
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:47 pm from GFK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI97LA002.