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19971023030859A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna 185C · Farmington, NM · October 23, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 23, 1997 · 16:30 local
Place
Farmington, NM
Airport
Four Corners Regional Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff Ground Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N725
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA029
Reported as
Cessna 185C
Reported engine
Continental IO520D
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,580 total80 in this make and model230 in the last 90 days
N725Registered now · Cessna 185CS/N 185-0737 · Built 1964Airframe modelCessna 185CEngine modelContinental IO-520 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.

Acft nosed over during take off in high wind cond, Farmington, NM (.4)the pilot was on a cross-country flight after purchasing the aircraft the previous day. He said he had moderate experience in the aircraft, but lacked recent experience and had flown the aircraft 9 hours in the previous 90 days. The pilot said that during the takeoff roll, he put the yoke full forward, planning to return it to neutral when the tail lifted. He said that when the tail came up, he could not move the yoke aft to neutral, and the aircraft went nose down and nosed over. Examination of the aircraft following the accident revealed no discrepancies in the flight control system. According to the manufacturer, if the stabilizer trim is in the takeoff range, the aircraft is incapable of rotating to that degree of nose down attitude during the takeoff roll. Also, the manufacturer reported that if the trim is nose down, out of the takeoff range, the aircraft will nose down, and it is difficult to move the yoke aft. In addition, the manufacturer said the only other way to achieve this type of event is to use the brakes during the takeoff roll. (-23) visual meteorological conditions prevailed during airman quist's attempt to become airborne at the Farmington, NM airport on October 23, 1997. Further wind was not a factor. During the takeoff roll, when the tail came up the propeller contacted the ground and the aircraft nosed over causing substantial damage to the top of the fuselage and vertical stabilizer.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT NOSED OVER DURING TAKE OFF IN HIGH WIND COND, FARMINGTON, NM (.4)THE PILOT WAS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT AFTER PURCHASING THE AIRCRAFT THE PREVIOUS DAY. HE SAID HE HAD MODERATE EXPERIENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT, BUT LACKED RECENT EXPERIENCE AND HAD FLOWN THE AIRCRAFT 9 HOURS IN THE PREVIOUS 90 DAYS. THE PILOT SAID THAT DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, HE PUT THE YOKE FULL FORWARD, PLANNING TO RETURN IT TO NEUTRAL WHEN THE TAIL LIFTED. HE SAID THAT WHEN THE TAIL CAME UP, HE COULD NOT MOVE THE YOKE AFT TO NEUTRAL, AND THE AIRCRAFT WENT NOSE DOWN AND NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES IN THE FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER, IF THE STABILIZER TRIM IS IN THE TAKEOFF RANGE, THE AIRCRAFT IS INCAPABLE OF ROTATING TO THAT DEGREE OF NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. ALSO, THE MANUFACTURER REPORTED THAT IF THE TRIM IS NOSE DOWN, OUT OF THE TAKEOFF RANGE, THE AIRCRAFT WILL NOSE DOWN, AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO MOVE THE YOKE AFT. IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO ACHIEVE THIS TYPE OF EVENT IS TO USE THE BRAKES DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. (-23) VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED DURING AIRMAN QUIST'S ATTEMPT TO BECOME AIRBORNE AT THE FARMINGTON, NM AIRPORT ON OCTOBER 23, 1997. FURTHER WIND WAS NOT A FACTOR. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, WHEN THE TAIL CAME UP THE PROPELLER CONTACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE AND VERTICAL STABILIZER.

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 FTW98LA029Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportFarmington, NMthe pilot's improper preflight of the airplane, by failing to properly set the elevator trim for takeoff, and his improper use use of the elevator flight controls. A related factor was: the pilot's lack of recent experience in the make and model of airplane.Oct 23, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N725 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19950712018699ABettles, AKAircraft made hard landing on glassy water, drove struts into fuselage. (-4)the pilot had performed two previous glassy water landings on the lake. On his third landing, he misjudged his height above the water and prematurely reduced power. The aircraft…Jul 12, 1995 · Substantial damage