# Accident 20240721009199A: Cessna A185F, Rural Retreat, VA, July 21, 2024 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 21, 2024, 10:07 local time - Place: Rural Retreat, VA - Airport: Mountain Empire Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.8948° N, 81.3499° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.8948&lon=-81.3499&mi=10 - Aircraft: N185GS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N185GS) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna A185F (registry code 2072821, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185f) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA A185F - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR IO 550 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 556 total, 25 in this make and model, 24 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA24LA312](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA312) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240721009199A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JULY 21, 2024, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT MKJ ON RUNWAY 26 AT 10:07AM LOCAL. THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED WITH CLEAR VFR CONDITIONS WITH NO WIND. AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND DURING THE ROLLOUT THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT WENT TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT, AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AS HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT HI IMPROPER HEADING. AFTER SCRAPPING THE LEFT WINGTIP, THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN AND BEGAN DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AS IT GAINED ALTITUDE BRIEFLY. THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A NEARLY STALLED STATE WITH THE RIGHT WING HIGH AS IT DRIFTED AWAY FROM THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND JUST PRIOR TO CROSSING THE PARALLEL TAXI WAY AND BOUNCED/SLID ACROSS THE TAXIWAY TO WHERE THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. THE PILOT’S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AN UNTIMELY DECISION TO ATTEMPT A GO AROUND RESULTED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT OF EVENTS: ON SUNDAY JULY 21ST, 2024 WITH CALM WINDS REPORTED BY THE AWOS, I ENTERED A STANDARD LEFT HAND PATTERN TO RUNWAY 26 AT MOUNTAIN EMPIRE AIRPORT, KMKJ. MAINTAINING HEADING, ALTITUDE AND PATTERN SPEED WITH THE LANDING CHECK LIST COMPLETE, I BEGAN MY DESCENT AT THE NORMAL DESCENT POINT, ABEAM THE PLANNED TOUCHDOWN POINT, WITH MY PITCH ATTITUDE SET FOR AN AVERAGE 500 RPM DESCENT RATE AND A POWER SETTING FOR THE APPROPRIATE SPEED WITH THE INITIAL FLAP CONFIGURATION. MY TURN TO BASE FROM FINAL OCCURRED AT THE APPROPRIATE POSITION WITH A PITCH AND POWER COMBINATION ALONG WITH THE ADDITION OF FLAPS TO ATTAIN THE PROPER SPEED FOR THE BASE LEG. LEADING THE TURN TO THE FINAL APPROACH SEGMENT FULL FLAPS WERE APPLIED AND THE PITCH AND POWER WERE ADJUSTED TO MAINTAIN THE DESIGNATED FINAL APPROACH SPEED. THE BRAKES WERE CHECKED AND FINAL ITEMS COMPLETED, I ALIGNED THE NOSE WITH THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE BY USE OF THE RUDDER. WITH THE FINAL APPROACH SPEED ATTAINED AND ALIGNMENT ASSURED, I FOCUSED ON THE AIM POINT CONTROLLING THE PITCH AND POWER SETTINGS TO MAINTAIN MY SIGHT PICTURE. APPROACHING SHORT FINAL, I BEGAN THE INITIAL POWER REDUCTION TO CROSS THE THRESHOLD AT 63 KNOTS, THE NORMAL SPEED FOR WHICH THE LANDING ATTITUDE, APPROXIMATELY 6 FT., NECESSARY FOR A 3-POINT LANDING. ONCE IN THE LANDING ATTITUDE, APPROXIMATELY 1 FOOT ABOVE THE RUNWAY, I BEGAN A SLOW POWER REDUCTION TO SET THE LANDING ATTITUDE FOR A LOW ENERGY, FULL STALL, 3-POINT LANDING WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR THE SLOWEST POSSIBLE GROUND SPEED AND THE SHORTEST GROUND ROLL DISTANCE. UPON TOUCHDOWN, IN THE 3-POINT LANDING ATTITUDE, THE AIRCRAFT ABRUPTLY SWERVED TO THE RIGHT AS IF THE RIGHT BRAKE WAS APPLIED, WHICH IT WAS NOT, BOTH OF MY HEELS WERE ON THE FLOOR WITH THE BALLS OF MY FEET RESTING ON THE BOTTOM OF BOTH RUDDER PEDALS IN THE READY POSITION FOR RUDDER APPLICATION. THE ABRUPT RIGHT TUM WAS SHARP ENOUGH TO ACCELERATE THE LEFT WING CREATING A LIFT MOMENT TO RAISE THE LEFT WING, WHICH TOOK THE LEFT WHEEL OFF THE RUNWAY SURFACE TAKING AWAY MY ABILITY TO APPLY LEFT BRAKE ENOUGH TO ASSIST WITH COUNTERING THE RIGHT TUM WITH LEFT DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING. IN AN ATTEMPT TO COUNTER WITH POWER, I APPLIED ENOUGH THROTTLE TO COUNTER THE RIGHT TUM WITH TORQUE AND OTHER ASSOCIATED LEFT TURNING TENDENCIES TO REALIGN THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE IN AN ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT ON THE RUNWAY BOUNDARY. SIMULTANEOUSLY I APPLIED FORWARD CONTROL YOKE TO COUNTER THE LIFTING MOMENT FROM THRUST APPLICATION BUT THE ELEVATOR AND RUDDER CONTROL WERE INSUFFICIENT DUE TO THE LOW ENERGY STATE FROM THE 3-POINT LANDING AND THE FACT THAT FLAPS BLANKED OUT MOST OF RUDDER AND ELEVATOR IMMEDIATE EFFECTIVENESS. WITH FLAPS FULLY EXTENDED AND THE APPLICATION OF FULL POWER, THE MAJORITY OF THE LIFTING COMPONENT WERE FROM THE FLAPS BECAUSE OF FULL FLAPS BLANKING MOST OF THE RUDDER AND SOMEWHAT THE ELEVATOR TAKING AWAY MY ABILITY TO COUNTER THE LIFT FORCE AND LEFT TURNING TENDENCIES. I APPLIED FULL RIGHT RUDDER TO COUNTER THE YAW AND FULL FORWARD CONTROL YOLK ## 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 ERA24LA312](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA312), Jul 21, 2024: Cessna A185F (N185GS), Rural Retreat, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of directional control during the landing roll. ## Other reports on N185GS (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20120317004599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120317004599A), Mar 17, 2012: Cessna A185F (N185GS), Saginaw, TX, Substantial damage. During landing roll out, airman unlocked tailwheel and aircraft began to veer to right side of runway into crosswind. Airman was unable to correct back to… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.