N121EE is a 1979 Cessna A185F. It is a fixed-wing single-engine aircraft with 6 seats, powered by a Cont Motor IO 520 series rated at 285 horsepower. The registration is active, with the registrant based in Anchorage, AK. Its standard airworthiness certificate was issued in Feb 1979. It has been registered to its current owner since Jun 2023. This page also carries 2 NTSB events.
- 47 years old
- 1 of 1,154 Cessna A185F
2023
1979
That's everything on file so far — TailWiki checks the FAA registry daily and adds new entries as N121EE's record changes.
On July 17, 2019, at about 1445 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski-equipped Cessna A185 airplane, N121EE, sustained substantial damage while taxiing, after landing on the Ruth Glacier, about 50 miles northwest of Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was registered to a private individual and operated by Sheldon Air Service as a visual flight rules on-demand sightseeing flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The certificated commercial pilot and four passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an FAA flight plan had been filed. The flight departed Talkeetna Airport (PATK), Talkeetna, Alaska about 1415.
According to the operator, the sightseeing flight included a landing at the Don Sheldon Mountain House, located in the Don Sheldon Amphitheater. The operator reported that, after an uneventful ski landing on the Ruth Glacier, the airplane taxied over some ruts when the pilot heard a "bang" on the right side of the airplane. After gliding to a stop, the pilot noticed the right wing was about 2 feet lower than normal. An inspection by the pilot, revealed that the right outboard landing gear bracket had fractured, which constituted substantial damage to the fuselage.
The outboard landing gear bracket was not available to the NTSB for inspection.
The closest weather reporting facility is Talkeetna Airport, (PATK), Talkeetna, Alaska. At 1453, a METAR from PATK was reporting in part: wind, variable at 4 knots; visibility, 10 statute miles; sky condition, clear; temperature, 75° F; dew point 48° F; and an altimeter setting of 29.58 inches of mercury.
The pilot reported that after departing from a snow-covered glacier in a tailwheel and wheel/ski-equipped airplane, he retracted the skis in preparation for landing on a paved runway. During the retraction, the right wheel/ski pivoted up, striking the airplane's right wing lift strut. Inspection revealed that the ski's right rear clevis pin had broken, which allowed the ski to pivot upwards. The right wing lift strut sustained substantial damage, which required replacement. Other than the broken clevis pin, the pilot indicated there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
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