Cessna A185F accident near White Bird, Idaho, October 17, 2004
On October 17, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N101AM, was substantially damaged in an accident near White Bird, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain the proper airspeed for takeoff and his improper soft-field takeoff procedure. Factors contributing to the accident included the pilot's improper preflight planning, the fence, and the closed exhaust stack.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- White Bird, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N101AM · registry record · serial 18502390
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
This was the pilot's first attempt at taking off uphill on the 2,300-foot private airstrip, which was estimated to be an upgrade of between 6 and 8 percent. After taxiing to the north end of the airstrip and noticing a strong right-quartering gusty headwind, the pilot selected 20 degrees of flaps and applied full power. The takeoff roll was normal, with the first 1,000 feet being on level ground, the second 1,000 feet being uphill, and the last 300 feet being on level ground; a fence bordered the end of the airstrip. The pilot, anticipating a longer-than-usual ground roll consistent with the uphill departure, applied back pressure on the control yoke with 300 feet of available runway remaining, but the aircraft did not lift off the ground. He then added another 10 degrees of flaps, which he said was in accordance with the airplane's soft-field takeoff procedures. At about the same time the airplane was crossing the fence line at the end of the runway, the pilot heard the sound of an impact. After the airplane became airborne the engine immediately developed a vibration, prompting the pilot to make a right 180 degree turn back to the airstrip. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of the way through the turn the engine lost all power and quit. The pilot managed to land the airplane in a pasture which bordered the departure airstrip on the west, spinning around 180 degrees and sliding backwards before coming to rest in an upright position. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, the vertical stabilizer, and the fuselage. The exhaust stack exhibited impact damage which creased the bottom one-third of the component to the extent that the exhaust area opening was almost entirely closed. The aircraft owner's manual notes that soft-field takeoffs are performed with 20 degrees of flaps, and flap extension to 30 or 40 degrees is not recommended for takeoff.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,326 hours in all; 993 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,224 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 10, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,226 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 2004; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: White Bird ID at 6:30 pm
- Destination: RLD Richland WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 2,300 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 215° at 30 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 SEA05LA009.