What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 19th, 2025, at approximately 1045 EDT, a Cessna C185 skywagon aircraft, registered as privacy data omitted, sustained minor damage during a flight in Lansing Michigan at Lansing’s Capital Region airport (lan). The flight, operated by a private pilot with three passengers, was conducted under the guidelines of title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91, without a filed flight plan. Fortunately, neither the pilot nor his passengers were injured during the event.
The pilot and his passengers departed in aircraft privacy data omitted at approximately 1024 EDT from coldwater, Michigan. The pilot was seated front left position and had three other occupants with him in the aircraft on the flight. The pilot mentioned in a statement that their original arrival airport was kslh, cheboygan county airport, but that they diverted due to worsening weather. The decision was made to land at Lansing (lan), which would provide VFR landing conditions. The pilot received permission to land on runway 28L and began his approach. In his statement, the pilot mentions that his “final was okay, flared/rounded out a bit high (runway wider than my normal operations).” he also mentions adding power too late to stop his descent, which led to a hard landing (bounce), which caused a ground loop, forcing his right-wing tip to strike the runway. The aicraft ground strike caused damage to the right wing, right aileron, and the right wheel hub. Once the aircraft was safely on deck, the pilot taxied off the runway into a run up pad where he met a security airport vehicle. They confirmed zero injuries, assessed the aircraft, and verified the absence of leaking fluids, and instructed the pilot to taxi to the fixed-base operator.
Inspector privacy data omitted and I believe that because the pilot diverted to Lansing, an airport that the pilot was not thouroughly familiar with, it led to a situation whereby the pilot added additional complications and uncertainty to the landing, increasing the risk. He mentions that he was initially wide with the approach, and then approached too high, and that the runway width was confusing to him. These complications almost certainly caused the accident on July 19th, 2025.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 19TH, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 1045 EDT, A CESSNA C185 SKYWAGON AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING A FLIGHT IN LANSING MICHIGAN AT LANSING’S CAPITAL REGION AIRPORT (LAN). THE FLIGHT, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT WITH THREE PASSENGERS, WAS CONDUCTED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91, WITHOUT A FILED FLIGHT PLAN. FORTUNATELY, NEITHER THE PILOT NOR HIS PASSENGERS WERE INJURED DURING THE EVENT.
THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS DEPARTED IN AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AT APPROXIMATELY 1024 EDT FROM COLDWATER, MICHIGAN. THE PILOT WAS SEATED FRONT LEFT POSITION AND HAD THREE OTHER OCCUPANTS WITH HIM IN THE AIRCRAFT ON THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT MENTIONED IN A STATEMENT THAT THEIR ORIGINAL ARRIVAL AIRPORT WAS KSLH, CHEBOYGAN COUNTY AIRPORT, BUT THAT THEY DIVERTED DUE TO WORSENING WEATHER. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT LANSING (LAN), WHICH WOULD PROVIDE VFR LANDING CONDITIONS. THE PILOT RECEIVED PERMISSION TO LAND ON RUNWAY 28L AND BEGAN HIS APPROACH. IN HIS STATEMENT, THE PILOT MENTIONS THAT HIS “FINAL WAS OKAY, FLARED/ROUNDED OUT A BIT HIGH (RUNWAY WIDER THAN MY NORMAL OPERATIONS).” HE ALSO MENTIONS ADDING POWER TOO LATE TO STOP HIS DESCENT, WHICH LED TO A HARD LANDING (BOUNCE), WHICH CAUSED A GROUND LOOP, FORCING HIS RIGHT-WING TIP TO STRIKE THE RUNWAY. THE AICRAFT GROUND STRIKE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING, RIGHT AILERON, AND THE RIGHT WHEEL HUB. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFELY ON DECK, THE PILOT TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY INTO A RUN UP PAD WHERE HE MET A SECURITY AIRPORT VEHICLE. THEY CONFIRMED ZERO INJURIES, ASSESSED THE AIRCRAFT, AND VERIFIED THE ABSENCE OF LEAKING FLUIDS, AND INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO TAXI TO THE FIXED-BASE OPERATOR.
INSPECTOR ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE THE PILOT DIVERTED TO LANSING, AN AIRPORT THAT THE PILOT WAS NOT THOUROUGHLY FAMILIAR WITH, IT LED TO A SITUATION WHEREBY THE PILOT ADDED ADDITIONAL COMPLICATIONS AND UNCERTAINTY TO THE LANDING, INCREASING THE RISK. HE MENTIONS THAT HE WAS INITIALLY WIDE WITH THE APPROACH, AND THEN APPROACHED TOO HIGH, AND THAT THE RUNWAY WIDTH WAS CONFUSING TO HIM. THESE COMPLICATIONS ALMOST CERTAINLY CAUSED THE ACCIDENT ON JULY 19TH, 2025.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.