# Accident 19971023030859A: Cessna 185C, Farmington, NM, October 23, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 23, 1997, 16:30 local time
- Place: Farmington, NM
- Airport: Four Corners Regional Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff Ground Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.7499° N, 108.1805° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.7499&lon=-108.1805&mi=10
- Aircraft: N725, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N725) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 185C (registry code 2072808, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-185c) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 185C
- Reported engine: CONT IO520D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,580 total, 80 in this make and model, 230 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA029) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971023030859A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB FTW98LA029](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA029), Oct 23, 1997: Cessna 185C (N725), Farmington, NM, substantial damage. Probable cause: the 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…

## Other reports on N725 (1)

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

- [Accident 19950712018699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950712018699A), Jul 12, 1995: Cessna 185C (N725), Bettles, AK, Substantial damage. Aircraft 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…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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