- Date
- June 29, 2016, 14:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- King Salmon, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3969QCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Nose over/nose down
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO AL03
- FAA report
- 20160629022399A
- Case key
- 93500
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 failure to maintain airplane control while landing in gusty wind conditions, resulting in a noseover.
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 reported that upon touchdown on runway 12, the left quartering headwind switched to a direct crosswind forcing the nose of the airplane to the left. The right wing contacted the runway surface and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the empennage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Wind at the time of the accident was reported to be from 070 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 22 knots. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that upon touchdown on runway 12, the left quartering headwind switched to a direct crosswind forcing the nose of the airplane to the left. The right wing contacted the runway surface and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the empennage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Wind at the time of the accident was reported to be from 070 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 22 knots. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3969Q
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502216
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 9,101
- Engine
- Continental IO520/D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 2016 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- AKN · King Salmon, AK
- Destination
- AKN · King Salmon, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- AKN · King Salmon, runway 12, 8,901 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 23, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,650 total · 675 in this make and model · 6,290 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 13 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- PAKN
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 25, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.4 MB 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.