- Date
- August 10, 2007, 09:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pedro Bay, AK
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3306RCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 28, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070810021229A
- Case key
- 66776
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of control during the landing roll for an unknown reason.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The commercial pilot was landing at a remote tidal beach site. During the landing roll, the airplane began to veer to the left, towards the water, and the pilot was unable to correct the veer. The airplane ground looped to the left, the right main landing gear leg collapsed, and the right wing struck the surface of the beach. The airplane's right wing sustained substantial damage. The airplane was not recovered before being subjected to numerous tide cycles, and the airplane was damaged extensively before a postaccident inspection could be accomplished. In his written statement to the NTSB, the pilot wrote, in part: "I suspect the tail wheel malfunctioned."
Factual narrative
On August 10, 2007, about 0900 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N3306R, sustained substantial damage while landing at an off-airport site about 40 miles southeast of Pedro Bay, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) other work use flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91 when the accident occurred. The airplane was owned and operated by Rainbow Bay Resort, Pedro Bay. The commercial pilot and the four passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and company flight following procedures were in effect. The flight originated at the Pedro Bay Airport about 0830.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on September 14, the pilot reported that he was landing at a remote tidal beach site, adjacent to the ocean waters of Cook Inlet. He said that after an uneventful landing the airplane began to veer to the left, towards the water, and he was unable to correct the veer. The airplane ground looped to the left, the right main landing gear leg collapsed, and the right wing struck the beach, receiving substantial damage. The airplane was not recovered before being subjected to numerous tide cycles, and the airplane was damaged extensively before a postaccident inspection could be accomplished.
The pilot noted in his written report to the NTSB, dated August 20, "I suspect the tail wheel malfunctioned."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3306R
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502870
- Airframe hours
- 4,668.7
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D-24, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rainbow Bay Resort, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2007 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- Pedro Bay, AK
- Destination
- Pedro Bay, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,400 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 12,400 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N3306R · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.