- Date
- December 20, 1993, 11:52 local (17:52 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Island, NE
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N581JBCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931220047039A
- Case key
- 9444
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. A factor related to the accident was the gusty quartering tailwind 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 was being taxied for takeoff when a gust of wind caught the tail of the airplane and caused it to weather vane. When the airplane weather vaned into the wind, the right main gear collapsed due to side loads.
Factual narrative
On December 20, 1993, at 1152 central standard time, a Cessna 185, N581JB, registered to John P. Bresina, experienced a ground loop followed by a main gear collapse while taxiing for takeoff at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport, Grand Island, Nebraska, while on a personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed but had not been activated at the time. The airplane was substantially damaged. The pilot and four passengers were not injured. The flight was to have originated from Grand Island.
The pilot reported he was taxiing on a heading of 040 the wind shifted from a crosswind to a left quartering tailwind. He stated a gust of approximately 25 knots caught the tail of the airplane which caused the airplane to weather vane into the wind. This resulted in too much load on the landing gear, according to the pilot, and the right main gear collapsed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N581JB
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503803
- Airframe hours
- 5,999
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- John P. Bresina
- Registered owner
- John P. Bresina
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 8, 1993 · 78 hours before
- Destination
- RST · Rochester, MN
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GRI · Central Nebraska Regional
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 7,664 total · 450 in this make and model · 6,201 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GRI
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.