- Date
- August 20, 2018, 10:15 local (16:15 UTC)
- Place
- McCall, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N93039Cessna A185
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180820015259A
- Case key
- 98126
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 disconnection of the brake cylinder actuator rod, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain 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 airplane, during a wheel-landing, the airplane yawed left, and he applied right rudder to counter the yaw. The tail descended to the runway, and the left yaw increased. He countered the left yaw with a right brake and rudder application. He recalled that the right brake application was "completely ineffective" and that the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The airplane entered the rough gravel surface on the left side of the runway, and the pilot applied left rudder and left brake to intentionally ground loop the airplane. The right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. Postaccident examination of the airplane's brake system by Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspectors revealed that the cotter pin and clevis that connects the right brake cylinder connecting rod to the inner right brake pedal connection point was detached, and it was not recovered.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, during a wheel-landing the airplane yawed left and he applied right rudder to counter the yaw. The tail descended to the runway and the left yaw increased. He countered the left yaw with a right brake application as well as the right rudder application. He recalled that the right brake application was "completely ineffective" and the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The airplane entered the rough gravel surface on the left side of the runway, and the pilot applied left rudder and left brake to intentionally ground-loop the airplane. The right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. Post-accident examination of the airplane's brake system by Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspectors revealed that the cotter pin and clevis that connects the right brake cylinder connecting rod to the inner right brake pedal connection point was detached and unrecovered. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane prior to landing that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N93039
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503169
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 11,241.8
- Engine
- Continental IO-550D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air drop · Part 91
- Operator
- Sawtooth Flying Service
- Registered owner
- Dorris, Michael R.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Other; Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 24, 2018
- Departed
- KMYL · McCall, ID
- Destination
- KMYL · McCall, ID
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- KMYL · McCall Municipal Airport, runway 34, 6,108 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 70
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 17,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 16,000 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 11 knots, gusting 5
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Observed at
- MYL, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.