# NTSB LAX99LA021: Cessna 185E, N185Z, Tucson, AZ, November 2, 1998 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: November 2, 1998, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC) - Place: Tucson, AZ - Coordinates: 32.53989, -110.949798 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.5399&lon=-110.9498&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 22, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 45248 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX99LA021 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/45248/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=45248 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA021 ## Probable cause Failure of the pilot to properly secure the seat which subsequently slid back on the takeoff roll and lead to the pilot's loss of aircraft control. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, takeoff - roll/run - fuselage,seat - not secured (cause) - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) - flight controls - unavailable, pilot in command - ground loop/swerve - encountered ## Analysis On the takeoff roll the pilot's seat slid back. The aircraft made an abrupt turn to the left, while the pilot was attempting to move the seat back into place. After the unsuccessful attempt was made to move the seat back into place, the pilot retarded the throttle and the aircraft came to a stop after a ground loop. The seats were inspected and found to be stiff and difficult to move fore and aft. The seat rails and latching mechanisms were inspected and no deficiencies were noted. ## Factual narrative On November 2, 1998, at 1100 hours mountain standard time, a Cessna 185E, N185Z, ground looped and departed runway 11L on the takeoff roll at the Tucson, Arizona, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the personal flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. The pilot reported that as he was on the takeoff roll his seat slid out of the detents. He stated that "this pulled my feet off the rudder pedals and my hands off the controls." The pilot reported that the aircraft made a turn to the left as he was attempting to move the seat forward to regain use of the rudders or the brakes. He reached up to retard the throttle and the aircraft came to a stop after a ground loop. No further mechanical malfunctions were noted with the aircraft. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector who examined the aircraft at the airport, the seat was stiff and was difficult to move fore and aft. He reported that the detents in the seat rails did not show any signs of wear, and the pilot may have thought he had the seat locked into place because of the stiffness of the seat. The FAA did note that the aircraft was 40 hours out of annual, but that the condition of the seat and seat rails would have passed an annual inspection. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N185Z](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N185Z), registered now, S/N 1851363, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 185E - Registry model: [Cessna A185E](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185e) (registry code 2072818) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1851363 - Airframe hours: 2261 - Engines: Continental IO-520D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Douglas W. Case - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 9, 1998, 40 hours before - Airport: TUS, Tucson International, runway 11L, 10,994 × 150 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; airline transport, flight engineer; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine sea, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 14,964 total, 81 in this make and model, 11,013 as pilot in command, 25 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 68 °F, dew point 39 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: TUS ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19981102031089A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981102031089A), Nov 2, 1998: Cessna A185E, Tucson, AZ, Substantial damage. On 11/02/98 pilot Douglas w. case (pilot certificate 001434852 ATP) at 1101 MST was on the takeoff phase of a VFR local part 91 flight from Tucson, AZ, in his… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 20, 1999, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=45248. 412 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 389 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40411849&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Report from SDL FSDO (item 2, .PDF, 23 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40116035&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Report%20from%20SDL%20FSDO-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.