Cessna A185F accident near Astoria, Oregon, November 11, 1999
On November 11, 1999 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N6245E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Astoria, Oregon (Karpen airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed after a delayed go-around. Factors include incapacitation due to the use of unapproved drugs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 1999 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Astoria, Oregon · Karpen · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N6245E · registry record · serial 18504013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to witnesses, the pilot appeared to be high and fast on his approach to the airstrip. One witness said the pilot 'S'-turned and side-slipped on final approach. The airplane touched down from 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down the 1950 foot grass runway, shortly after which power was applied (with what was described as the sound of full power) and the airplane climbed out at a steep angle. When the airplane was near the end of the runway, at an altitude that witnesses estimated as from 30 to 75 feet above ground level, with full flaps extended, the right wing dropped and the airplane descended at a steep angle into a ravine at the end of the runway, about 100 feet below the runway elevation. No preexisting mechanical deficiencies were found during the course of the investigation. Toxicological testing of the pilot was performed by the FAA with negative results for CO, cyanide, and ethanol. Bupropion was detected in blood and urine. Bupropion is a prescription medication used for the treatment of depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and also for prescription use in smoking cessation. The pilot had been taking Zyban (buproprion) and was using other measures to attempt to stop smoking. The FAA does not permit an aviation medical examiner to issue a medical certificate on mood-altering medications and prohibits certification of pilots using bupropion for smoking cessation, unless the pilot does not take the medication within 72 hours of flight.
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: 4,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,249 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 30, 1999; 91 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: Inchelium WA
- Destination: 0R23
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 1,950 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 19 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Observation at 6:56 pm from AST, 9 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.