N61609

On August 7, 2004, about 1730 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire-equipped Cessna 185F airplane, N61609, sustained substantial damage when it departed off the runway and collided with a ditch during landing at the Wasilla Airport, Wasilla, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed, nor was one required. The flight departed from the Big Lake Airport, Big Lake, Alaska, about 1500.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on August 10, the pilot reported that he was landing on runway 21 at Wasilla. He said that the wind conditions consisted of a left crosswind that was blowing about 15 knots with gusts to 25 knots from about 150 degrees. He indicated that at touchdown, the airplane veered to the right and departed off the right side of the runway. The airplane then collided with a ditch, and the right main landing gear strut was torn off the airplane. The airplane received structural damage to the landing gear, fuselage, and the right wing.