NYC00LA077

The airplane touched down under calm wind conditions, with the left wing down. The left wheel rim fractured, and the wheel came off the rim, but the airplane veered off the runway to the right. It hit a snow bank, and flipped up, and onto its nose.

On February 12, 2000, about 1300 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 185, N8425Q, was substantially damaged during a landing at Saratoga County Airport (5B2), Saratoga Springs, New York. The certificated private pilot and his passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight, which was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

According to the pilot's written statement, the winds were calm, flaps were fully extended, and airspeed was 75 knots indicated. The flare was started "at about the numbers and touchdown was a smooth three point with the stall horn. There was a slight movement to the left." The landing rollout was being maintained on the centerline, "when suddenly the plane turned to the right and the left wing tip dropped." The airplane did not respond to control inputs, and continued to the right, striking the snow bank at the edge of the runway at an angle between 45 and 90 degrees. "The plane flipped up and over the bank coming to land on its nose, perpendicular to the ground."

The pilot further stated that upon inspection of the runway, there was a "straight rubber scuff" to the left of centerline, "maybe 200-250 feet long, that then turned to the right and into the snow bank over a distance of about 40 feet. The scrape of the wingtip was parallel on the outside [of] the left tire mark." The left tire was found to be off the wheel and around the main strut.

The Federal Aviation Administration's party representative stated that the left wheel rim had fractured, and that in a subsequent conversation with the pilot, the pilot revealed that the landing had been accomplished "with the right wheel up in the air."