- Date
- October 24, 1995, 14:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Liberal, KS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1613MCessna A185E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 21, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19951024039219A
- Case key
- 10146
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 inadequate compensation for wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of directional control and an inadvertent ground swerve.
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
After landing, the airplane encountered a gust of wind, which turned the airplane to the right. The pilot stated that he applied full left rudder and power to correct. Subsequently, the left main gear failed, and the airplane exited to the right of the runway, coming to rest on its nose and right wing. Reported winds at the airport were 190 degrees at 23 knots with gusts to 28 knots. There was a rubber skid mark followed by metal skid marks on the runway. The left tire had scratches on the outside wall, and the axle had sheared off at the four bolts that attached it to the landing gear. The left bottom wing tip was also scratched.
Factual narrative
On October 24, 1995, at 1440 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna A185E, N1613M, operated and owned by an instrument rated commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during landing at Liberal Municipal Airport, Liberal, Kansas. While landing, the left main landing gear wheel broke off. The pilot reported minor injuries. A VFR flight plan was on file. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed Platte Municipal Airport, Platte, South Dakota, at 1113 cdt.
From the pilot's written statement, the pilot said he had landed on runway 17 and was taxiing to a taxiway turn off when the airplane veered to the right from a gust of wind. The pilot stated, " ...he applied full left rudder and applied power to correct but the airplane skidded to the right and tipped up on the nose and right wing tip... ." Five minutes before the accident, Liberal automatic weather observation station (AWOS) reported winds from 190 degrees at 23 knots with gusts to 28 knots.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) represented the NTSB during the on-scene investigation. The PMI said, there were 120 feet long rubber skid mark followed shortly after by a metal skid mark about 30 to 40 feet long on the runway. The left tire showed abrasive scratches on the outside of the tire and the axle was sheared off at the four bolts that attach it to the landing gear. The bottom of the left wing tip showed evidence of scrapping.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1613M
- Reported as
- Cessna A185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18501833
- Airframe hours
- 1,622
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sires, Roger R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 13, 1995 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- 1D3 · Platte, SD
- Destination
- LBL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- LBL · Liberal Municipal Airport, runway 17, 7,101 × 150 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
- 56
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,377 total · 588 in this make and model · 1,280 as pilot in command · 51 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 23 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Observed at
- LBL
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 N1613M · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.