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Atlas / NTSB / ANC89LA081

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event ANC89LA081

1989-05-29 KAHILTNA GLAC, Alaska, United States None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N1047F

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA A185F

Engine

CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)

Seats / Engines

6 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19960718

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A016E3

Registrant of record

BONDURANT JOK

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S DECISION TO COMMIT HIMSELF TO A LANDING BEFORE COMPLETING AN EVALUATION OF THE WEATHER IN THE VICINITY OF THE LANDING SITE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SNOWBANK OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WITH WHICH THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED.

Factual narrative

DURING A VFR FINAL APPROACH TO A GLACIER THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A LOW FOG BANK. THE PILOT STATED, 'ON SHORT FINAL WITH FULL FLAPS AND A LOADED AIRCRAFT LANDING AT THIS LOCATION, A GO AROUND IS IMPOSSIBLE, I WAS COMMITTED TO LAND. UPON DESCENDING FURTHER I FOUND MYSELF IN A GROUND FOG AND LOST GROUND CONTACT....THE LANDING WAS HARD AND ON A STEEPER PART OF THE GLACIER IN DEEP SNOW AND TO THE LEFT OF THE USUAL TOUCHDOWN POINT.' ON LANDING THE GEAR BOXES BROKE, THE RIGHT SKI CAME OFF AND COLLIDED WITH THE RIGHT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, AND THE PROPELLER CAME OFF THE ENGINE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ANC89LA081.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.