- Date
- February 22, 2020, 15:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Hawley, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N550FKCessna A185
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200222002359A
- Case key
- 100986
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 improper landing flare and touchdown, which resulted in a bounced landing and loss of directional control and the airplane's subsequent impact with a snowbank and ground loop during an attempted go-around.
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, while on the base leg, he decided to perform a three-point landing with "2 notches of flaps." During the landing flare, the pilot realized the airplane was a "bit high," so he moved the flaps to the fourth notch to avoid bouncing during the landing. The tailwheel touched down first, and the airplane then bounced on its main landing gear and drifted right. The pilot attempted to correct by adding power and initiating a go-around, but the right main landing gear contacted a snowbank on the edge of the runway, and the airplane ground looped and then came to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that while on the base leg, he decided to perform a three-point landing and applied "2 notches of flaps." During the landing flare, the pilot moved the flaps to the 4th notch to avoid bouncing during the landing. Upon touchdown, the airplane's tailwheel landed first; the airplane bounced on its main landing gear and drifted to the right. The pilot attempted to correct by adding power and initiating a go-around. Subsequently, the right main landing gear contacted a snow bank on the edge of the runway, the airplane ground looped and came to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N550FK
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503229
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 5,078
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-D15B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 2, 2019
- Departed
- DTL · Detroit Lakes, MN
- Destination
- 04Y · Hawley, MN
- Airport
- 04Y · Hawley Municipal Airport, runway 16, 3,398 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Handheld GPS
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- BasicMed, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 20, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,738 total · 516 in this make and model · 1,563 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.77 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.