20101022050629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 185 · Fort Thomas, AZ · October 22, 2010

Date
October 22, 2010 · 13:50 local
Place
Fort Thomas, AZ
Phase of flight
Landing: Rollout
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N5011X
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR11CA024
Reported as
Cessna 185
Reported engine
Continental IO-520-D
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,110 total28 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

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.

N5011X departed 5AZ9, a private airstrip, to take photos of the same airfield. No weather services were provided at this airfield. The wind was observed by the pilot via windsock to be variable from the west to northwest and estimated to be 5-7 knots. The flight started with a normal takeoff on runway 35(a down sloping runway) at approximately 1:40P.m. local time. Once the photos were taken, a normal traffic pattern entry was flown for runway 17 (an up sloping runway). Winds were observed to be same as they were at takeoff. The approach was flown with full flaps and a normal wheel landing was made. After touchdown, an estimated 100 yards of normal rollout on all three landing gear was accomplished. Then, at approximately mid-field a sudden gust of wind from the west (or a possible dust devil) was encountered by the pilot. During this encouter the the pilot tried to input corrective action using rudder and brake pressure, however, the aircraft departed the right (west) side of the runway. As the aircraft departed the runway the left wing tip impacted the ground. The aircraft then impacted a berm area caused the right wing to impact the ground and the nose to pitch over and inpact in the ground where the aircraft came to a stop. The pilot then shut down the electrical equipment and all three passengers exited the aircraft from them left door. No one was injured. The damage to the aircraft was substantial.

As the FAA filed it

N5011X DEPARTED 5AZ9, A PRIVATE AIRSTRIP, TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE SAME AIRFIELD. NO WEATHER SERVICES WERE PROVIDED AT THIS AIRFIELD. THE WIND WAS OBSERVED BY THE PILOT VIA WINDSOCK TO BE VARIABLE FROM THE WEST TO NORTHWEST AND ESTIMATED TO BE 5-7 KNOTS. THE FLIGHT STARTED WITH A NORMAL TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 35(A DOWN SLOPING RUNWAY) AT APPROXIMATELY 1:40P.M. LOCAL TIME. ONCE THE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN, A NORMAL TRAFFIC PATTERN ENTRY WAS FLOWN FOR RUNWAY 17 (AN UP SLOPING RUNWAY). WINDS WERE OBSERVED TO BE SAME AS THEY WERE AT TAKEOFF. THE APPROACH WAS FLOWN WITH FULL FLAPS AND A NORMAL WHEEL LANDING WAS MADE. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, AN ESTIMATED 100 YARDS OF NORMAL ROLLOUT ON ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THEN, AT APPROXIMATELY MID-FIELD A SUDDEN GUST OF WIND FROM THE WEST (OR A POSSIBLE DUST DEVIL) WAS ENCOUNTERED BY THE PILOT. DURING THIS ENCOUTER THE THE PILOT TRIED TO INPUT CORRECTIVE ACTION USING RUDDER AND BRAKE PRESSURE, HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RIGHT (WEST) SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. AS THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY THE LEFT WING TIP IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED A BERM AREA CAUSED THE RIGHT WING TO IMPACT THE GROUND AND THE NOSE TO PITCH OVER AND INPACT IN THE GROUND WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A STOP. THE PILOT THEN SHUT DOWN THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND ALL THREE PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THEM LEFT DOOR. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIAL.

NTSB investigation

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