C-185 Just Couldn't Get Airborne

For reasons not yet explained, a Cessna 185, piloted by an Iditarod sled race volunteer couldn't get into the air, about 9:40AM Sunday.

Whether there was a malfunction, or the wind shifted, or the surface interfered, or (perhaps) the plane was overloaded, won't be known until the inquiry is complete; but the two men and one woman received from "minor" to "no" injuries, in the first couple thousand feet of their planned trip to Anchorage (AK).

According to local reports, the plane just couldn't get up there; it nipped a snowbank at the end of the runway, and spun around. Visible damage was confined to the gear, the prop, and the port wing.

**   Report created 3/11/2003   Record 1   **
IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 1613M        Make/Model: C185      Description: 185, A185 Skywagon, Skywagon 1
  Date: 03/09/2003     Time: 1830
  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
  City: GALENA   State: AK   Country: US
DESCRIPTION
  ACFT FAILED TO CLIMB ON DEPARTURE, SET BACK ON RUNWAY AND VEERED TO THE LEFT OFF RUNWAY ON LANDING, GALENA, AK
INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:  1     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
WEATHER: UNK
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Pleasure      Phase: Landing      Operation: General Aviation
  Departed: GALENA, AK                  Dep Date: 03/09/2003   Dep. Time: 1830
  Destination: UNK                      Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK
  FAA FSDO: FAIRBANKS, AK  (AL01)                 Entry date: 03/10/2003