| Crash location | 68.294166°N, 156.379167°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Bettles, AK
66.918889°N, 151.516111°W 159.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N62882 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 12 Aug 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 185 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that he took off from an off-airport unimproved gravel surface. He recalled that the airplane climbed and was airborne for about 300ft before it encountered a "severe downdraft." The airplane impacted a creek bed and the main landing gear separated from the airframe.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the foremost fuselage bulkhead and stringers.
The pilot reported that the wind at the accident site was from 230 degrees at 25 knots with gusts to 30 knots, and that he was landing to the southwest.
The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.