- Date
- August 25, 2006, 21:30 local (Aug 26, 2006, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Valentine, NE
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4730QCessna A185E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Lincoln FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060825017549A
- Case key
- 64601
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 of the airplane during the landing roll, resulting in an inadvertent ground loop by the pilot. A factor contributing to the accident was the gusting crosswind condition.
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 airplane ground looped during landing. The pilot reported that when she applied the left brake the airplane ground looped. Wind conditions reported near the time of the accident were: wind 350 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots.
Factual narrative
On August 25, 2006, at 2130 central daylight time, a Cessna A185E, N4730Q, owned and piloted by an airline transport pilot, received substantial damage on impact with terrain when the airplane ground-looped during landing at Miller Field Airport, Valentine, Nebraska. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot was uninjured.
The pilot reported that she performed a "wheel landing" on runway 32 (4,700 feet by 100 feet, asphalt) and that after landing the airplane began to drift to the right. When the tail wheel contacted the runway she reported that the "right wheel dropped off of some uneven pavement". The pilot then applied the left brake and the airplane subsequently ground looped.
Wind conditions reported near the time of the accident were: wind 350 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 25 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4730Q
- Reported as
- Cessna A185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-1184
- Airframe hours
- 4,055.5
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2006
- Departed
- CWI · Clinton, IA
- Destination
- VTN · Valentine, NE
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- VTN · Miller Field Airport, runway 32, 4,700 × 100 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
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,000 total · 250 in this make and model · 2,800 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 350° at 15 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- VTN
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 N4730Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.