NTSB ANC23LA075 — 2023-09-12 · Healy, Alaska, United States

Current FAA registration · N34VV

Make / Model: CESSNA 185
Year of manufacture: 1961 · 62 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR IO-470 SER (260 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19941116
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A3BCE4

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N34VV Cessna 185 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable landing site, resulting in a nose over.

Factual narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during landing rollout at an overgrown remote airstrip, the main landing gear wheels “sunk into soft vegetation.” The airplane subsequently nosed over and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, vertical stabilizer, and wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

— Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
— Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Pilot
— Environmental issues-Physical environment-Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface-Soft surface-Effect on operation
— Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Capability exceeded

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_ANC23LA075.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

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Related research

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