Cessna 185 accident near Liscome Bay, Alaska, July 30, 1988
On July 30, 1988 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N70168, was destroyed in an accident near Liscome Bay, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 30, 1988 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Liscome Bay, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N70168 · registry record · serial 18502033
- 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
WHILE IN A NARROW, TREE-LINED AREA JUST ABOVE A SMALL COVE, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE MANEUVERING, IN PREPARATION FOR A LANDING ON A LAKE. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES IN-FLIGHT WHILE IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE AND THEN STRUCK THE WATER. POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO HEAVY RAIN EXISTED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT WAS LIMITED TO VFR AIR TAXI FLIGHTS ONLY. HE HAS NO HISTORY OF RECENT INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TIME OR EXPERIENCE. EXAM OF THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND POWERPLANT DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,227 hours in all; 3,116 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 10, 1988; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,320 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D24 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Temsco Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: KTN Ketchikan AK at 6:00 pm
- Destination: Security Cove AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 SEA88FA140.