- Date
- February 7, 2000, 12:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Loveland, CO
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N721Cessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000207011359A
- Case key
- 48600
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
Failure of the pilot in command to maintain directional control, resulting in an inadvertent ground loop. A factor was the crosswind.
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 flight instructor, seated in the right seat (who was not current in the airplane), had been giving the commercial (first) pilot, seated in the left seat, a biennial flight review (BFR). At the conclusion of the BFR, it was agreed that the flight instructor would make a full stop landing. A normal approach to runway 15 was flown in a 'moderate' right crosswind (5 to 10 knot, variable). A full stall landing was made with a slight crab into the crosswind. The tail wheel touched down first, followed by the main gear. The airplane then veered right and ground looped. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a halt off the right side of runway 15.
Factual narrative
On February 7, 2000, approximately 1215 mountain standard time, a Cessna A185F, N721, owned and operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, was substantially damaged when it collided with terrain while landing at the Fort Collins/Loveland Municipal Airport, Loveland, Colorado. The commercial certificated first pilot and the commercial certificated flight instructor were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the public use instructional flight, and a company VFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated at Broomfield, Colorado, approximately 1030.
According to the accident report submitted, the flight instructor, seated in the right seat, had been giving the commercial (first) pilot, seated in the left seat, a biennial flight review (BFR) to satisfy the requirements of FAR (Federal Aviation Regulation) 61.56(c). At the conclusion of the BFR, it was agreed that the flight instructor would make a full stop landing (it was later learned the instructor was not current in aircraft category and class).
A normal approach to runway 15 was flown in a "moderate" right crosswind (5 to 10 knot, variable). A full stall landing was made with a slight crab into the crosswind. The tail wheel touched down first, followed by the main gear. The airplane then veered right and ground looped. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a halt off the right side of runway 15.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N721
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502795
- Airframe hours
- 6,929
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Public use
- Operator
- U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service
- Registered owner
- U.S. Dept. Of The Interior
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 30, 1999 · 105 hours before
- Departed
- BJC · Broomfield, CO
- Destination
- FNL
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- FNL · Fort Collins-Loveland Mun, runway 15, 8,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,200 total · 3,700 in this make and model · 4,030 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FNL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.