- Date
- October 24, 2017, 14:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Tacoma, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N19ECCessna A185
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171024014999A
- Case key
- 96244
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 loss of directional control during the landing roll.
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
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped, high-performance airplane, he performed a three-point landing about 70 mph. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot reported that he applied left rudder and left aileron to keep the airplane on the runway. However, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and then ground looped to the right, and the left wing and left elevator struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar, ribs, aileron, and the left elevator. The METAR at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 010° at 7 knots. The pilot reported that the valve stem from the left main landing gear tire failed, causing the loss of control.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped, high performance airplane, he performed a three-point landing about 70 miles per hour. During the landing roll on runway 35, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot reported that he applied left rudder and left aileron to keep the airplane on the runway. However, the airplane exited the right side of the runway, and the airplane ground looped to the right, and the left wing and left elevator struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar, ribs, aileron and the left elevator. The METAR at the accident airport, reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 010° at 7kts. The pilot reported that the valve stem from the left main landing gear tire failed causing the loss of control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N19EC
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (E)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-1306
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 3,356.66
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Blue Skies Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Blue Skies Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 4, 2017
- Departed
- TIW · Tacoma, WA
- Destination
- TIW · Tacoma, WA
- Airport
- TIW · Tacoma Narrows, runway 35, 5,002 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator
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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 8, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,434 total · 75 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- KTIW
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.
Other investigations on N19EC · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.