No fatalities

23 Nov 2013: CESSNA A185F — MAHER MICHAEL P TRUSTEE — Nenana, AK

Nenana, AK, United States

On 23 Nov 2013, a CESSNA A185F operated by MAHER MICHAEL P TRUSTEE was involved in an aviation accident near Nenana, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in a collision with terrain. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A wheel/ski-equipped aircraft sustained substantial damage to its right wing and aileron after the right ski struck a hole hidden beneath snow and ice on a frozen lake during landing. The pilot reported no mechanical issues.

Incident Overview

A pilot was landing a wheel/ski-equipped airplane on a frozen, wind-blown lake covered with ice and snow. Earlier that day, the pilot had established a landing area by laying ski tracks with a friend's ski-equipped airplane.

Sequence of Events

Upon touchdown, the airplane did not decelerate as anticipated and began to veer off the proposed landing area. While the pilot attempted to correct for the veer, the right ski struck a hole hidden underneath the snow and ice. The impact caused the right main landing gear leg to separate from the airplane.

Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron.

Pilot Report

The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Awareness of condition