LAX96LA163

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 185F · Placerville, CA · April 8, 1996

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
April 8, 1996, 16:15 local (23:15 UTC)
Place
Placerville, CA
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N61905Cessna 185F
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report June 6, 1996
Report
Approved by Office Director
Case key
29414

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 CFI's failure to take adequate remedial action to preclude the loss of direction control during landing rollout.

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.

Loss of control - on ground/waterLanding - roll
Directional control - not maintainedPilot in command(cfi)Cause
Remedial action - inadequatePilot in command(cfi)Cause
Ground loop/swerve - inadvertentPilot in command(cfi)
Nose overLanding - roll

Analysis

The commercial pilot had just purchased the conventional gear airplane from the CFI, and he desired a check-out. The CFI talked the owner through the first landing. Then, the CFI took the controls and planned to demonstrate performance of a three-point touchdown. The CFI did not indicate that anything unusual occurred except the airplane veered right during rollout. According to the CFI, he attempted to take corrective action by applying left rudder, but the airplane continued rolling to the right. The airplane exited off the side of the runway, entered a dirt area, and nosed over. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were experienced.

Factual narrative

On April 8, 1996, at 1615 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 185F, N61905, experienced a loss of directional control and nosed over while landing at the Placerville airport, Placerville, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed during the instructional flight. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither the certified flight instructor (CFI), nor the airplane's owner was injured. The flight originated from Placerville at 1600.

The owner held a commercial pilot certificate, and he had just purchased the airplane from the CFI. The owner desired to be checked out with the airplane's conventional landing gear. In the CFI's completed "Aircraft Accident Report," NTSB Form 6120.1/2, he reported that he talked the owner through the first landing. The CFI performed the second landing, and attempted to demonstrate a normal three-point touchdown.

According to the CFI, the airplane touched down on runway 23 in a three-point attitude, and then it veered to the right. The CFI reported that he attempted to correct the action by applying left rudder, but the airplane continued rolling to the right. The airplane exited off the side of the runway, entered a dirt area, and nosed over. No mechanical failures or malfunctions were experienced.

Aircraft

Registration
N61905
Reported as
Cessna 185F
Category
Airplane
Serial number
18504272
Airframe hours
3,134
Engine
Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner
J. Scott Connelly
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · November 13, 1995 · 30 hours before
Departed
PVF
Destination
PVF
Airport
PVF · Placerville, runway 23, 4,201 × 75 ft, asphalt

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
49
Certificates
Flight instructor, Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Seat
Right
Flight hours
3,702 total · 34 in this make and model · 3,646 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
220° at 3 knots, gusting 5
Visibility
30 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
64 °F