- Date
- August 21, 2016, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Fayetteville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N185DKCessna A185
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160821014659A
- Case key
- 93867
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 the landing roll in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a runway excursion and a ground loop.
Findings · 4
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
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll with a crosswind the airplane drifted to the left. He further reported that he "applied some right rudder," but the airplane weathervaned into the wind and departed the runway to the right. During the runway excursion, the airplane ground looped and the left wing and elevator were substantially damaged after an impact with terrain. An automated weather observing system near the time of the accident 12 nautical miles south of the airport recorded the wind at 250 degrees true at 7 knots. The pilot reported he landed on runway 20. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll with a crosswind the airplane drifted to the left. He further reported that he "applied some right rudder," but the airplane weathervaned into the wind and departed the runway to the right. During the runway excursion, the airplane ground looped and the left wing and elevator were substantially damaged after an impact with terrain. An automated weather observing system near the time of the accident 12 nautical miles south of the airport recorded the wind at 250 degrees true at 7 knots. The pilot reported he landed on runway 20. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunction or failure with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185DK
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503808
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 6,900
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 2, 2016
- Departed
- FYM · Fayetteville, TN
- Destination
- FYM · Fayetteville, TN
- Airport
- FYM · Fayetteville Muni, runway 20, 5,900 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 15, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,000 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KMDQ, 12 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 5, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 736 KB 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.
Other investigations on N185DK · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.