What happened
Witnesses observed a Cessna 185 flying in level flight approximately 300 feet above the ground. The aircraft then entered a steep right bank directed toward the observers. A commercial pilot present at the scene estimated the bank angle to be 120 degrees. During this maneuver, the airplane appeared to reverse direction and leveled out before ultimately striking trees.
The pilot involved had recently relocated to Alaska within the previous two weeks. At the time of the accident, the pilot had accumulated only six hours of experience operating the float-equipped, 300-horsepower aircraft, all of which had been gained during the week prior to the event.