19970902025739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 185 · Kotzebue, AK · September 2, 1997

Date: September 2, 1997 · 17:00 local
Place: Kotzebue, AK
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: ALAC
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N185QB
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC97LA144
Reported as: Cessna 185
Reported engine: Continental IO520*
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 9,000 total

N185QBRegistered now · Cessna 185S/N 185-0131 Airframe modelCessna 185 Engine modelContinental I0-470 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft crashed on landing. (.4)the pilot was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane in a remote area . The airplane was equipped with oversize tundra type tires inflated to about 12 PSI. An adhesive, applied between the main wheel rim and the tire, helps to prevent the tire from rotating independent of the wheel. The pilot indicated that during the landing roll on grassy terrain, the right tire rotated away from the wheel rim. The tire deflated and began vibrating. The right main landing gear then collapsed, and the right wing struck the ground.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON LANDING. (.4)THE PILOT WAS LANDING THE TAILWHEEL-EQUIPPED AIRPLANE IN A REMOTE AREA . THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH OVERSIZE TUNDRA TYPE TIRES INFLATED TO ABOUT 12 PSI. AN ADHESIVE, APPLIED BETWEEN THE MAIN WHEEL RIM AND THE TIRE, HELPS TO PREVENT THE TIRE FROM ROTATING INDEPENDENT OF THE WHEEL. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLL ON GRASSY TERRAIN, THE RIGHT TIRE ROTATED AWAY FROM THE WHEEL RIM. THE TIRE DEFLATED AND BEGAN VIBRATING. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR THEN COLLAPSED, AND THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE GROUND.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC97LA144Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKotzebue, AKThe collapse/deflation of the right main tire when the tire slipped on the tire wheel rim which resulted in the collapse of the right main landing gear due to overload.Sep 3, 1997 · Substantial damage