- Date
- September 2, 2019, 18:40 local (Sep 3, 2019, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- San Carlos, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N34GECessna A185
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Case key
- 100198
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, which resulted in a ground loop.
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
The pilot reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left and then started to veer left. The pilot corrected with full application of right rudder, but it did not stop the left veer. The airplane ground looped to the left, and the right wing stuck the ground. 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 in the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane encountered a wind gust from the left. The pilot corrected with full application of the right rudder, but he did not stop the airplane's left veer. The airplane ground-looped to the left and the right wing stuck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The airport's METAR reported that about the time of the accident, the wind was from 260° at 8 knots. The pilot landed on runway 30. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34GE
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504129
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 6,128.4
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2019
- Departed
- CPU · San Andres, CA
- Destination
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Airport
- SQL · San Carlos, runway 30, 2,621 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 20, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,344 total · 207 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KSQL
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB in all.