- Date
- June 7, 2019, 16:00 local (Jun 8, 2019, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gulkana, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4057YCessna 185
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 99584
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 airplane control just before touchdown in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in ground loop after touchdown.
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, just before touchdown, a wind gust lifted the left wing, and the right wing impacted the runway. The right wheel touched down, and the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that just before touchdown, a wind gust lifted the left wing and the right wing impacted the runway. The right wheel touched down and the airplane ground looped to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4057Y
- Reported as
- Cessna 185 (A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-0257
- Built
- 1961
- Airframe hours
- 2,600
- Engine
- Continental IO-470F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 2018
- Departed
- MRI · Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- GKN · Gulkana, AK
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- GKN · Gulkana, runway 15, 5,001 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 17, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,275 total · 150 in this make and model · 1,087 as pilot in command · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- PAGK
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 820 KB in all.