- Date
- August 6, 1989, 14:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Durango, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9823XCessna 185
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 17761
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
Improper planning/decision by the pilot. The wind condition was considered to be a contributing factor.
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 plt was practicing touch-&-go landings on rwy 2. He rprtd that the wind sock was indicating a strong x-wind when he landed. He estimated the wind velocity was 20 KTS. During the landing, he lost directional control of the acft & it ground looped. The 1350 MDT wind was from 290 deg at 4 gusting 20 KTS.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9823X
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1850023
- Engine
- Continental IO-470, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Heath, Jack L.
- Registered owner
- Jack Heath
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 17, 1989
- Departed
- DUR
- Destination
- DUR
- Airport
- DRO · La Plata County, runway 2, 9,200 × 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 750 total · 600 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 4 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DUR
Other investigations on N9823X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.