- Date
- June 12, 2000, 18:26 local (23:26 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N61441Cessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 8, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000612012959A
- Case key
- 49423
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 directional control during landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop.
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
During the landing roll, the pilot attempted to exit the runway onto a taxiway at a high rate of speed. Subsequently, the tail-wheel equipped airplane ground looped, and the left main landing gear collapsed.
Factual narrative
On June 12, 2000, at 1826 central daylight time, a Cessna A185F tail-wheel equipped airplane, N61441, was substantially damaged during landing roll at the New Orleans Moisant Field Airport, near New Orleans, Louisiana. The aircraft was registered to and operated by Southern Seaplane, Inc., of Belle Chasse, Louisiana. The airline transport pilot and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a visual flight rules flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 air taxi flight. The on-demand cargo flight originated from Lake Charles, Louisiana, at 1700.
According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, the pilot landed the airplane on runway 10. During the landing roll the pilot attempted to exit the runway onto taxiway Alpha at a "high rate of speed," and the airplane "ground looped."
In the enclosed Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported that "after a three-point landing and rollout [he] began a turn toward the taxiway, the tail of the aircraft came around and the aircraft proceeded to ground loop."
Examination of the airplane by the FAA inspector revealed that the left wing tip, left aileron, and the elevator were damaged. The left main landing gear was found collapsed, and the left main landing gear's attach point was structurally damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N61441
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504191
- Airframe hours
- 12,222
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Southern Seaplane, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 18, 2000 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- CWF · Lake Charles, LA
- Destination
- MSY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- MSY · New Orleans International, runway 10, 10,104 × 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
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,580 total · 600 in this make and model · 3,250 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSY
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.