Cessna 185F accident near Rockwood, Maine, October 8, 1989
On October 8, 1989 at about 3:10 pm local time, a Cessna 185F, registered N7321H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rockwood, Maine (Moosehead Lake airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER COMPENSATION FOR THE GUSTING CROSSWIND. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR(S) WAS: THE WIND CONDITIONS AND THE PILOT'S SELECTION OF A TOUCHDOWN POINT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 8, 1989 · about 3:10 pm local time
- Place
- Rockwood, Maine · Moosehead Lake
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7321H · no longer on the register · serial 18503361
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER THE FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA TOUCHED DOWN ON A LAKE, A GUST OF WIND RAISED THE LEFT WING, ALLOWING THE RIGHT WING TO CATCH THE WATER AND CARTWHEEL THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE GUST APPEARED TO HAVE COME FROM THE MOUTH OF A RIVER ADJOINING THE LAKE, AND THAT HE SHOULD HAVE TOUCHED DOWN BEFORE THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 382 hours in all; 202 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 323 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,320 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Rockwood ME at 2:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N7321H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.