- Date
- May 3, 2008, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mexican Hat, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N185KHCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20080503831939A
- Case key
- 67942
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.
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 took off from a dirt road, and the right main gear encountered a rut. The pilot wasn't sure if this damaged the gear leg or tire assembly. He continued his flight to a dirt strip. He flew over the field twice to assess the winds and the condition of the field. There was no wind indicator at the field and he elected to land uphill on a westerly heading. He experienced significant downdrafts on short final, and added power to compensate. He bounced the landing, which he reported was recoverable with power. The airplane then bounced once or twice slightly, and veered sharply to the left of the runway. It departed the runway, impacted trees and bushes, and nosed over, causing substantial damage to the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he took off from a dirt road, and the right main gear encountered a rut. The pilot wasn't sure if this damaged the gear leg or tire assembly. He continued his flight to a dirt strip. He flew over the field twice to assess the winds and the condition of the field. There was no wind indicator at the field and he elected to land uphill on a westerly heading. He experienced significant downdrafts on short final, and added power to compensate. He bounced the landing, which he reported was recoverable with power. The airplane then bounced once or twice slightly, and veered sharply to the left of the runway. It departed the runway, impacted trees and bushes, and nosed over, causing substantial damage to the wings, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185KH
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502300
- Airframe hours
- 2,260
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2008
- Departed
- Grand Gulch, UT
- Destination
- Mexican Hat, UT
- Airport
- NONE · Nokai Dome, runway 24, 2,300 × 40 ft, dirt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 772 total · 640 in this make and model · 698 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- PGA, 46 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.