- Date
- January 17, 2020, 17:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Laytonsville, MD
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1557FCessna 185
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200117011239A
- Case key
- 100889
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 failure of the tailwheel attachment tube during the takeoff roll, which resulted in a loss of directional control, a runway excursion, and the left main landing gear collapsing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
After two uneventful circuits in the traffic pattern, the pilot aligned the airplane to the runway for another a touch-and-go landing. As he applied engine power, he used the right rudder to center the airplane on the runway. About 50 ft into the takeoff roll, the airplane veered left. The pilot applied right brake and right rudder to correct; however, the airplane became "momentarily airborne." He reduced the engine power, and as the airplane settled back onto the runway, it veered right. The pilot attempted to stop the airplane by applying the brakes; however, it continued off the right side of the runway and traveled through mud, and subsequently, the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing, left elevator, and left horizontal stabilizer sustained substantial damage. An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest on the left side of the fuselage. The tailwheel attachment tube was separated from the empennage, but the tailwheel control cables remained attached.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to practice takeoffs and landings. After two uneventful circuits in the traffic pattern, he aligned the airplane up on runway 8 for another takeoff. As he applied engine power, he used the right rudder to center the airplane on the runway. About 50 ft into the takeoff roll, the airplane veered to the left. The pilot applied right brake and right rudder, however the airplane became "momentarily airborne." He reduced engine power and as the airplane settled back onto the runway, it veered to the right. The pilot attempted to stop the airplane by applying the brakes, however, it continued off the right side of the runway, traveled through mud, and subsequently the left main landing gear collapsed. The left wing, left elevator, and left horizontal stabilizer were substantially damaged in the accident sequence.An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane came to rest on the left side of the fuselage. The tailwheel attachment tube was separated from the empennage, but the tailwheel control cables remained attached.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1557F
- Reported as
- Cessna 185 (D)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-0928
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 3,697.3
- Engine
- Continental IO-470 SERIES, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 19, 2019 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- W50 · Laytonsville, MD
- Destination
- W50 · Laytonsville, MD
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- W50 · Davis, runway 08, 2,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 4, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 900 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 12 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.69 inHg
- Observed at
- GAI, 5 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 1, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.