- Date
- September 6, 2014, 17:00 local (Sep 7, 2014, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gakona, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N432XCessna 185
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- Anchorage FSDO 3
- FAA report
- 20140906016079A
- Case key
- 90063
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 pilot's inability to maintain directional control after the airplane's main landing gear tire deflated during takeoff.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot was taking off from a remote off-airport site in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated that during takeoff, the left main landing gear tire deflated, the airplane swerved to the left and clipped a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and tail.
Factual narrative
The pilot was taking off from a remote off-airport site in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. He stated that during takeoff, the left main landing gear tire deflated, the airplane swerved to the left and clipped a tree. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and tail.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N432X
- Reported as
- Cessna 185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850129
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 3,991
- Engines
- Continental IO-550, 300 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental IO-550, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Copper Valley Air Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Copper Valley Air Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 10, 2014
- Departed
- Gakona, AK
- Destination
- GKN · Gulkana, 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
- 63
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 28,000 total · 999,999 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK, 48 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 3, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 406 KB in all.
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 N432X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.