N9950X

On October 2, 2005, about 1930 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 185 airplane, N9950X, collided with terrain during an emergency landing following a loss of engine power during normal cruise, about 20 miles west of Iliamna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airline transport pilot and sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed from a dirt airstrip 20 miles north of Aleknagik, Alaska, about 1830.

During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on October 4, the pilot said about 20 miles west of Iliamna the engine lost power. He said the symptoms were similar to fuel starvation, but according to his calculations he should have had 30 minutes of fuel remaining. He said during the forced landing the landing gear was torn off, structurally damaging the fuselage. He said prior to the accident there were no known mechanical anomalies with the airplane.

In a written statement to the NTSB dated October 16, the pilot wrote that the morning following the accident he "noticed a substantial amount of frost/ice buildup around the left fuel vent, and on the ground from the fuel venting throughout the night," and "in my opinion it seemed to indicate that there was still a fair amount of water in the fuel that caused this ice buildup." He wrote, "although I felt I properly drained the tanks prior to takeoff, it seems there was still water trapped in the tanks."

On October 12, after recovery, the airplane's engine was prepared with a new propeller and clean fuel. The engine was started, and run through a variety of power settings, without any evidence of mechanical malfunction.