- Date
- August 31, 1998, 17:50 local (Sep 1, 1998, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Talkeetna, AK
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N333DGCessna 185E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19980831029939A
- Case key
- 43876
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 resulting in a inadvertent ground loop. A contributing factor was the induced pressure on the pilot by a sick passenger.
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 23 year old commercial pilot was landing a tailwheel equipped airplane on a gravel runway. The pilot stated that the touchdown and the landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane's nose veered slightly to the right. He said he compensated by applying left rudder, but the airplane suddenly ground looped to the right. The left wing and left elevator collided with the runway during the ground loop, and both sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that during the ground loop, the left wheel casting separated. In the NTSB Pilot/Operator report, the Chief Pilot stated that the flight was returning to Talkeetna earlier than scheduled with a sick passenger aboard. He said that the pilot intended to land in the gravel area just short of the paved runway, eliminating the need to back taxi, and allowing the sick passenger to exit the airplane sooner. The operator reported that during touchdown, the pilot landed sideways, and the left wheel casting separated. Wind conditions at the time of the accident were reported to be calm.
Factual narrative
On August 31, 1998, about 1750 Alaska daylight time, a wheel equipped Cessna 185E airplane, N333DG, sustained substantial damage while landing at the Talkeetna Airport, Talkeetna, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area flightseeing flight under Title 14, CFR Part 135, when the accident occurred. The certificated commercial pilot, and the four passengers aboard, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was filed.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge, on August 31, the pilot reported that he had just landed on runway 18. The pilot stated that the touchdown and the landing roll were uneventful, until the airplane's nose veered slightly to the right. He said he compensated by applying left rudder, but the airplane suddenly ground looped to the right. The left wing and left elevator collided with the runway during the ground loop, and both sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported that during the ground loop, the left wheel casting separated, and was found about 20 feet behind the accident site.
In the NTSB Pilot/Operator report, the Chief Pilot reported that the flight was returning to Talkeetna earlier than scheduled due to a sick passenger aboard. He said that the pilot intended to land in the gravel area just short of the paved runway, eliminating the need to back taxi, and allow the sick passenger exit the airplane sooner. He reported that during touchdown, the pilot landed sideways, and the left wheel casting separated.
Wind conditions at the time of the accident were reported to be calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333DG
- Reported as
- Cessna 185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503234
- Airframe hours
- 5,073
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Doug Geeting Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 18, 1998 · 88 hours before
- Departed
- TKA
- Destination
- TKA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- TKA · Talkeetna, runway 18, 3,500 × 75 ft, gravel
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
- 23
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 755 total · 200 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 91 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TKA
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 N333DG · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.