- Date
- June 23, 2017, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4356RCessna A185
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170623008599A
- Case key
- 95427
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 gusting wind conditions.
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 reported that, during the landing as the tailwheel began to settle, a "massive and unexpected gust of wind" lifted the left wing. He immediately attempted to recover by adding rudder inputs; however, the wind shifted to a "quartering tailwind," and the rear of the airplane whipped rapidly to the right. He applied the brakes as the airplane encountered a downhill slope on the left side of the runway, and it then came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located on the airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 360° at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot landed on runway 35L.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that, during the landing as the tailwheel began to settle, a "massive and unexpected gust of wind" lifted the left wing. He immediately attempted to recover by adding rudder inputs, however the wind shifted to a "quartering tailwind", and the rear of the airplane whipped rapidly to the right. He applied the brakes as the airplane encountered a downhill slope on the left side of the runway, and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The automated weather observation system located on the accident airport, about the time of the accident, reported the wind from 360° at 12 knots, gusting to 17 knots. The pilot landed on runway 35L.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4356R
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502939
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 647.1
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D-22, 375 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 21, 2016
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, CA
- Destination
- HND · Las Vegas, NV
- Airport
- HND · Henderson Executive, runway 35L, 6,501 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Satellite tracking device, Onboard weather, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 25, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 145.1 in this make and model · 83.3 in the last 90 days · 38 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 111 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.81 inHg
- Observed at
- KHND
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 14, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.