- Date
- September 8, 1989, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Big Bear City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N252WCessna A185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890908034129A
- Case key
- 26498
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
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Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the unfavorable wind conditions.
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
Advised by UNICOM that rwy 7 was in use, anticipated wind from NE. After touchdown he found wind was from sw. Pilot aborted landing attempt, but lost control as left main gear collapsed. Airport manager reported that local wind direction was 'squirrelly' and that the wind socks at opposite ends of the runway were pointing in opposite directions. A dust devil was also reported in the vicinity of the airport. Pilot acknowledged he did not observe wind sock.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N252W
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503687
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Downey Construction, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Downey Consturction, Inc
- Departed
- MYF · San Diego, CA
- Destination
- L35 · Big Bear City, CA
- Airport
- L35 · Big Bear City, runway 7, 5,850 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 953 total · 288 in this make and model · 41 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.