GAA19CA055

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna A185 · Reardan, WA · November 9, 2018

Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal report
Date
November 9, 2018, 10:02 local (18:02 UTC)
Place
Reardan, WA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N185PRCessna A185
Defining event
Landing: Loss of control on ground
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 10, 2019
Report
Approved by Office Director
NTSB office
General Aviation Accidents
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20181109021629A
Case key
98623

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 receiving instruction's improper approach and landing flare in crosswind conditions, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent loss of directional control. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.

Findings · 5

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.

Performance/control parameters: landing flareAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna A185F: 5 casesAll aircraft: 1,285 casesProbable cause
Performance/control parameters: directional controlAircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintainedCessna A185F: 56 casesAll aircraft: 3,958 casesProbable cause
Wind: crosswindEnvironmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operationCessna A185F: 18 casesAll aircraft: 1,008 cases
Use of equip/info: aircraft controlPersonnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilotCessna A185F: 71 casesAll aircraft: 9,295 casesProbable cause
Action: delayed actionPersonnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilotCessna A185F: 4 casesAll aircraft: 894 casesProbable cause

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 flight instructor was evaluating a pilot receiving instruction in a tailwheel-equipped, high-performance airplane for a visual flight rules cross-country flight. He added that they considered the runway to be "a one-way strip." When they arrived at the private airstrip, the GPS indicated a 5-knot crosswind from the southeast. During the approach, the airplane was about "50 ft high" when it crossed their predetermined go-around point; they continued the landing. During the touchdown, the airplane bounced twice, and the pilot then initiated a go-around. The instructor then "reminded" the pilot that they were committed to the landing and instructed him not to go-around, so the pilot transitioned the airplane back to landing. During the subsequent touchdown, the airplane "quickly" veered right. The pilot attempted to correct the veer, but the airplane exited the right side of the airstrip onto soft ground, and it then nosed down and came to rest on the spinner and left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot indicated that the wind at the airport was from about 140° at 5 knots. The pilot landed the airplane on runway 5. The flight instructor recommended that he should have taken the controls sooner in the abnormal situation.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor was evaluating a pilot receiving instruction in a tailwheel-equipped, high performance airplane for a visual flight rules (VFR) cross country. He added that they considered the runway to be "a one-way strip". When they arrived at the private airstrip, the GPS indicated a 5 knot crosswind from the southeast. During the approach, they were about "50 ft high" when they crossed their predetermined go around point. During the touch down, the airplane bounced twice, and the pilot initiated a go around. The instructor then "reminded" the pilot that they were committed to the landing and instructed him not to go around, so the pilot transitioned the airplane back to landing. During the subsequent touchdown, the airplane "quickly" veered right. The pilot attempted to correct the veer, but the airplane exited the right side of the airstrip, encountered soft ground, and nosed down coming to rest on the spinner and left wing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot indicated that the wind at the airport was about 140° at 5 knots. The pilot was landing on runway 5. The flight instructor recommended that he should have taken the controls sooner in the abnormal situation.

Aircraft

Registration
N185PR
Reported as
Cessna A185 (F)
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18502889
Built
1976
Airframe hours
8,381.6
Engine
Continental IO-520-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Operator
The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, doing business as Moody Aviation
Registered owner
Proclaim Aviation Ministries
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
100 hour · September 5, 2018
Departed
SFF · Spokane, WA
Destination
WA08 · Reardan, WA
Flight plan
VFR
Airport
WA08 · Zwainz Farms, runway 05, 2,600 × 45 ft, grass/turf
Equipment
Stall warning system, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Satellite tracking device

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 · 2

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Flight instructor
Age
57
Injuries
None
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
January 25, 2018
Seat
Right
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
7,299 total · 838 in this make and model · 6,511 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Role
Pilot
Age
29
Injuries
None
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, With waivers/limitations
Last flight review
June 11, 2018
Seat
Left
Restraint
4-point
Flight hours
362 total · 26 in this make and model · 238 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
150° at 7 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
32 °F, dew point 28 °F
Altimeter
30.21 inHg
Observed at
KSKA, 12 nm away

Docket · 2

The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 18, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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.