- Date
- April 30, 2000, 08:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pottstown, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6535ECessna 185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000430043729A
- Case key
- 49095
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 second pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and the inadequate supervision of the flight instructor. Factors related to the accident were the crosswind and gusting 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
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and pilot were conducting a training flight. During landing, the airplane bounced once on the main landing gear and began a rollout. Control positions of left rudder, right aileron, and elevator transitioning to full up, were inputted for the crosswind condition. After about 500-600 feet into the rollout, the airplane began to swerve to the right. The pilot counteracted the swerve with the remaining amount of left rudder and then began 'feeding in left brake.' The airplane had not changed its heading of more than 30 degrees, when the CFI commanded the pilot to 'get off the brakes.' Both of the pilots applied full left rudder and the airplane departed the right side of the runway and accelerated into a ground loop. Federal Aviation Administration publication FAA-H-8083-3, Airplane Flying Handbook stated, 'If the airplane touches down while drifting or in a crab, the pilot should apply aileron toward the high wing and stop the swerve with the rudder. Brakes should be used to correct for turns or swerves only when the rudder is inadequate. The pilot must exercise caution when applying corrective brake action because it is very easy to overcontrol and aggravate the situation.' The pilot reported 4 hours of total flight experience in make and model. The winds reported at the airport, at 0854, were 320 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 30, 2000, about 0845 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cessna 185F, N6535E, was substantially damaged while landing at the Pottstown Limerick Airport, Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and commercial pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the CFI, the pilot receiving instruction flew over the airport to verify the wind conditions and entered the traffic pattern for Runway 28, a 3,371-foot long, 75 foot wide, asphalt runway. While landing, the airplane bounced once on the main landing gear and began a rollout. Control positions of left rudder, right aileron, and elevator transitioning to full up, were inputted for the crosswind condition. After about 500-600 feet into the rollout, the airplane began to veer to the right. Both of the pilots applied full left rudder and the airplane departed the right side of the runway, into a grass area. The left wing struck the ground and the airplane pitched forward before coming to rest upright.
According to the pilot, this was his second instructional flight in the airplane. After the airplane landed, it had decelerated considerably until a swerve developed to the right. The pilot counteracted the swerve with the remaining amount of left rudder and then began "feeding in left brake." The airplane had not changed its heading of more than 30 degrees, when the CFI commanded the pilot to "get off the brakes." The airplane continued to swerve off the right side of the runway and accelerated into a ground loop.
Federal Aviation Administration publication FAA-H-8083-3, Airplane Flying Handbook stated, "If the airplane touches down while drifting or in a crab, the pilot should apply aileron toward the high wing and stop the swerve with the rudder. Brakes should be used to correct for turns or swerves only when the rudder is inadequate. The pilot must exercise caution when applying corrective brake action because it is very easy to overcontrol and aggravate the situation."
The pilot reported 4 hours of total flight experience in make and model.
The winds reported at the airport, at 0854, were 320 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6535E
- Reported as
- Cessna 185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504053
- Airframe hours
- 4,099
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- United Parachute Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 1999 · 95 hours before
- Departed
- N62 · New Hanover, PA
- Destination
- PTW
- Airport
- PTW · Pottstown Limerick, runway 28, 3,371 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 100 in this make and model · 2,500 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 13 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PTW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.