- Date
- March 20, 2021, 15:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N58316Cessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20210320001069A
- Case key
- 102797
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 directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
Findings · 1
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, he was landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane on an asphalt surfaced runway in a slight right crosswind. After touchdown, the airplane veered to the right. Not knowing the reason for the veer, the pilot allowed the airplane to turn to the right and did not attempt to correct. The airplane ground looped to the right and the left wing impacted the ground sustaining substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operations. In the recommendation section of the NTSB Accident/Incident Reporting Form 6120.1, the pilot listed multiple ways the accident may have been prevented, including but not limited to, receiving additional training on landing technique in the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58316
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503284
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 10,944
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 16, 2020
- Departed
- INR · Mckinley Park, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- FAI · Fairbanks Intl, runway 02R/20L, 6,501 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 15, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,543 total · 170 in this make and model · 1,430 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 21 °F, dew point -2 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.76 inHg
- Observed at
- PAFA, 1 nm away
- METAR
- PAFA 202353Z 09009KT 10SM CLR M06/M19 A2976 RMK AO2 SLP092 T10611194 11061 21233 58014
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 20, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 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.
Other investigations on N58316 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.