Beech 65-A80 accident near Soldotna, Alaska, February 4, 1985
On February 4, 1985 at about 11:51 pm local time, a Beech 65-A80, registered N50NP, was destroyed in an accident near Soldotna, Alaska (Soldotna airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 9 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 4, 1985 · about 11:51 pm local time
- Place
- Soldotna, Alaska · Soldotna · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 9 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65-A80 · all 65-A80s on the register
- Registration
- N50NP · registry record · serial LD231
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING ARRIVAL, THE CREW OF NPA FLT 1802 CONTACTED THE COMPANY WX OBSERVER AT SOLDOTNA WHO ADVISED THE WX WAS: WND CALM,CEILING 600 TO 800 FT, VIS 8 TO 10 MI, NO PRECIP. THEY MADE AN NDB APCH, BUT MISSED THE APCH & REQUESTED ANOTHER APCH. APRX 1 MIN LATER, THE CREW REPORTED THE ACFT HAD ACCUMULATED A HVY LOAD OF ICE. THEY COULD HAVE DIVERTED NEARBY TO KENAIFOR AN ILS APCH, BUT ELECTED TO MAKE A VOR APCH BACK TO SOLDOTNA. WHILE BEING VECTORED, THEY MADE 2 MORE CHECKS WITH THEWX OBSERVER WHO ADVISED THE WX HAD DETERIORATED TO BELOW MINS & RECOMMENDED DIVERTING, BUT THE CREW DID NOT ACKNOWLEDGE.SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ON HI TERRAIN APRX 1.5 MI SE OF THE ARPT. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THE ACFT WAS CIRCLING WHEN IT CRASHED. CIRCLING WAS NOT AUTHORIZED SOUTH OF RWY 7/25. INV REVEALED RECURRING PRBLMS WITH THE ANTI-ICESYS, ITS 'SINGLE' MODE WAS INOP, 2 DE-ICE BOOTS WERE MISSING FM PROP BLADES. WX STATION LISTED ONLY 1 LGTD MARKER (1/4 MI AWAY) FOR VIS REF; MIN LNDG VIS WAS 1 MI; CEILOMETER WAS INOP. NO FAA INSPN OF WX STATION IN 2 YRS. ICG FORCASTED.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,288 hours in all; 2,985 in this make and model; 255 in the last 90 days; 96 in the last 30 days; 6,150 as pilot in command; 127 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,106 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 26, 1985; 92 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,800 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: North Pacific Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ANC Anchorage AK at 10:40 pm
- Destination: SXQ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 4,973 ft by 130 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 030° at 5 knots
- Sky: overcast at 300 ft; not recorded at 300 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from ENA, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.