Russian Mission, AK, USA
N80449
Cessna 185
The private pilot reported that he flared too high while landing his wheel-ski equipped airplane on a remote, frozen river. The airplane subsequently landed hard, and collapsed the left main landing gear, resulting in structural damage to the airplane fuselage and the main landing gear's left gear box. He noted that part of his cargo was a gasoline-powered ice auger, and it was leaking fuel. He said he rushed his landing approach to get the airplane on the ground and remove the auger.
On February 26, 2005, about 1400 Alaska standard time, a wheel/ski equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N80449, sustained substantial damage when the left main landing gear collapsed during a hard landing on a remote frozen river, located about 30 nautical miles northeast of Russian Mission, Alaska. The private pilot/airplane owner and the two passengers were not injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 cross-country personal flight departed Bethel, Alaska, about 1300, and the destination was the accident location. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on February 26, the pilot related he flared too high while landing on a stretch of the Yukon River, and that the airplane landed hard and collapsed the left main landing gear. He stated that the left main landing gear strut's gear box was damaged when the gear leg collapsed, and that the gear leg penetrated the fuselage near the baggage compartment. He noted that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane. In his written statement to the NTSB, the pilot noted that he was in a rush to land the airplane because a part of the cargo he was carrying inside the airplane was a gasoline-powered ice auger, and that it was leaking gas. He indicated he wanted to land quickly, and get it and the associated fumes out of the airplane.
The pilot's misjudged landing flare during landing, which resulted in a hard landing and structural damage to the fuselage when the left main landing gear collapsed. A factor associated with the accident is pressure placed upon the pilot by the conditions/events (leaking gas in the cargo compartment).
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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