- Date
- June 16, 2001, 08:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Ash Fork, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4805Cessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 28, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20010616014429A
- Case key
- 52514
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 misjudged touchdown location on a short runway. Contributing factors were the presence of a tailwind and the proximity of trees.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot observed that the wind was light and variable as he approached his privately owned 1,185-foot-long airstrip. He pilot landed the airplane slightly long and bounced. A slight tailwind was encountered, and the pilot initiated a go-around. However, the remaining runway was insufficient, so he aborted his effort. The airplane overran the runway's end and impacted nearby trees.
Factual narrative
On June 16, 2001, about 0845 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna A185F, N4805, overran the departure end of the runway at the pilot's privately owned airstrip in Ash Fork, Arizona. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot, and it was substantially damaged upon colliding with trees. The commercial certificated pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time. The personal flight was performed under 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Los Angeles, California, about 2.25 hours earlier.
The pilot verbally reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that he had landed at his airstrip on over 50 occasions. The runway is about 1,185 feet long, and its elevation is about 5,400 feet mean sea level. The pilot stated that he touched down slightly long, bounced, and was unable to stop before exiting the runway.
In the pilot's completed accident report, he indicated, in pertinent part, that approaching his airstrip he observed the wind was light and variable. He flew a standard traffic pattern, and his final approach was stabilized. With the wing flaps extended to 40 degrees, the airplane "dropped" in over the approach end of the runway. However, upon touchdown he experienced an increase in speed due to wind shear or a tailwind. The airplane accelerated using up runway. Then, he attempted to go around. He decreased the wing flaps to 20 degrees, applied full engine power, and decreased the pitch trim. However, he ran out of runway before liftoff so he retarded engine power and applied heavy braking. The airplane overran the runway's end, and it came to a stop upon impacting nearby trees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4805
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504432
- Airframe hours
- 6,040
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles B. Craddock
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 2001 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- WHP · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- NONE · Ask Fork
- Airport
- Not Listed, runway 040, 1,185 × 100 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 3, 1999
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 750 total · 195 in this make and model · 69 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KPRC, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.