- Date
- October 1, 2004, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Fe, NM
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N714MXCessna 185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20041001026819A
- Case key
- 60264
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 aircraft control during the landing roll resulting in a ground loop. Contributing to the accident 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
According to the pilot, he was performing touch and go landings on runway 20. During the landing roll, the pilot encountered a wind gust from the left which "weather cocked the plane to about 15 degrees left of centerline." The pilot stated that he applied power and full right rudder but was not able to straighten the airplane. He reduced engine power and applied brakes. The aircraft looped to the left and the right wing and elevator impacted the runway causing substantial damage. An inspection of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies. According to the Aviation Routine Weather Report at 1502 winds were recorded as 150 degrees at 7 knots with gusts to 15 knots.
Factual narrative
On October 1, 2004, at approximately 1500 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 185F, N714MX, piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain during landing roll at Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF), Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The local flight was originating at approximately 1430.
According to the accident report submitted by the pilot, he was performing touch and go landings on runway 20. During the landing roll, the pilot encountered a wind gust from the left which "weather cocked the plane to about 15 degrees left of centerline." The pilot stated that he applied power and full right rudder but was not able to straighten the airplane. He reduced engine power and applied brakes. The aircraft looped to the left and the right wing and elevator impacted the runway. The right wing spar and aileron were bent and the right elevator was crushed. An inspection of the airplane systems revealed no anomalies.
According to the Santa Fe Metar, at 1502 winds were recorded as 150 degrees at 7 knots with gusts to 15 knots. The pilot estimated the winds were out of the southeast at 5 knots with gusts to 10 knots. The calculate crosswind component was between 7 and 12 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N714MX
- Reported as
- Cessna 185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504404
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SAF · Sante Fe, NM
- Destination
- SAF · Sante Fe, NM
- Airport
- SAF · Santa Fe Municipal Airport, runway 200, 8,342 × 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,725 total · 19 in this make and model · 3,466 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- SAF, 1 nm away
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 N714MX · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.