- Date
- June 19, 1998, 19:14 local (Jun 20, 1998, 03:14 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N85CFCessna 185E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 19, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980619020329A
- Case key
- 3166
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 rotation/slippage of the right main tire on the wheel rim, resulting in shearing of the tire tube valve stem, and subsequent tire deflation. Factors in the accident were oversize, tundra tires operated on a dry, asphalt runway surface.
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 pilot was landing a tail wheel equipped airplane on a dry, asphalt runway. The airplane had 24 inch tundra tires installed. The oversize tires utilize a large wheel rim adapter attached to the normal wheel rim. During the landing roll, the right tire deflated. The airplane veered to the right, and the right wing tip struck the runway. The airplane began to ground loop, and the pilot applied the brakes. The airplane nosed down, coming to rest in a near vertical attitude. An inspection of the wheel revealed the right main tire tube valve stem was broken. The wheel adapter rim displayed scuffing on the outboard half of the wheel. The main wheel half was not damaged.
Factual narrative
On June 19, 1998, about 1914 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire and tail wheel equipped Cessna 185E airplane, N85CF, sustained substantial damage while landing at Merrill Field, Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country personal flight when the accident occurred. The airplane was registered to, and operated by the pilot. The certificated private pilot, and the sole passenger, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, Alaska, about 1845.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on June 19, 1998, at 1940, the pilot reported he landed on runway 15 at Merrill Field. The runway surface was dry asphalt. During the landing roll, the right tire deflated. The airplane veered to the right, and the right wing tip struck the runway. The airplane began to ground loop, and the pilot applied the brakes. The airplane nosed down, coming to rest in a near vertical attitude. The airplane received damage to the propeller, engine cowling, firewall, and right wing tip.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, Anchorage Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported he examined the airplane's right main tire. The inspector noted that the tire tube valve stem was broken, and the right tire deflated. The 24 inch tundra tire wheel adapter displayed scuffing on the outboard half of the wheel. The main wheel half was not damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N85CF
- Reported as
- Cessna 185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18501904
- Airframe hours
- 1,986
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jerry J. Jacques
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Destination
- MRI
- Airport
- MRI · Merrill Field, runway 15, 2,640 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,067 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 6,067 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MRI
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 N85CF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.