- Date
- March 17, 2012, 15:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N185GSCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 24, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Fort Worth FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120317004599A
- Case key
- 83160
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 did not maintain directional control of the airplane while landing in gusty wind conditions.
Findings · 4
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 landed the tailwheel-equipped airplane on the centerline of runway 14. He maintained the airplane on the centerline during the landing roll until a gust of wind caused the airplane to veer to the right. The pilot applied full left rudder and full left brake, but the airplane continued to veer off the right side of the runway. The left gear collapsed when it struck the grass on the side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that the wind was 170 degrees at 16 knots with gusts up to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he landed the tailwheel equipped airplane on the centerline of runway 14. He maintained the airplane on the centerline during the landing roll until a gust of wind caused the airplane to veer to the right. He applied full left rudder and full left brake, but the airplane continued to skid off the right side of the runway. The left gear collapsed when it struck the grass on the side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that the wind was 170 degrees at 16 knots with gusts to 25 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185GS
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503646
- Airframe hours
- 1,565
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO-520-D, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Smith William G Sr
- Registered owner
- Smith William G Sr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2011
- Departed
- PRX · Paris, TX
- Destination
- T67 · Fort Worth, TX
- Airport
- T67 · Hicks Airfield, runway 14, 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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,550 total · 750 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 16 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Observed at
- AFW, 6 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 27, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 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 N185GS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.