# NTSB SEA04LA034: Cessna 185F, N185WB, Deer Park, WA, January 14, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: January 14, 2004, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC) - Place: Deer Park, WA - Coordinates: 47.965, -117.431663 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.9650&lon=-117.4317&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 28, 2004 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 58621 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=SEA04LA034 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/58621/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA04LA034 ## Probable cause The dual student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll and the failure of the flight instructor to provide remedial action. A factor was snowbank. ## Analysis The left seat dual student was receiving instruction from the right seat instructor pilot to refresh his tailwheel skills. After making a wheel landing in calm winds and the tail settling, the aircraft swerved to the left. The dual student made a correction to stabilize the aircraft, but it then began to swerve to the right, which the student could not correct with full left rudder. The airplane subsequently departed the right side of the runway, impacted an 18 inch snow berm, and nosed over coming to rest inverted. The student indicated the instructor pilot did not take any action to aid him in recovering from the loss of control. Prior to the flight the student mentioned to the instructor that he did not feel comfortable with the airplane. The student had received 3.7 hours of dual instruction in the airplane prior to the accident. . ## Factual narrative On January 14, 2004, approximately 1030 Pacific standard time, a Cessna 185F airplane, N185WB, was substantially damaged following a loss of control during landing roll at the Deer Park Airport (DEW), Deer Park, Washington. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual. Neither the commercial pilot dual student nor the airline transport pilot flight instructor were injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR Part 91 local instructional flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The flight departed DEW at approximately 1015. According to the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the left seat dual student reported he was receiving instruction to refresh his "dormant tailwheel skills," and at the same time building the 10 hour minimum for the time-in-type insurance requirement. The pilot reported he had received 2.1 hours of instruction on November 20, 2003, and 1.6 hours of instruction on the day prior to the accident. On the morning of the accident a normal takeoff was made on runway 16 with the instructor in the right seat. The dual student stated that he made a normal full flap approach to a wheel landing, and after touchdown the power was reduced and the tail began to settle. The pilot further stated that before the tail touched down the airplane began to swerve to the left. The pilot related that corrective action was taken to briefly stabilize the aircraft, however, it now began to swerve to the right which he could not correct with full left rudder. The pilot reported that the aircraft then departed the right side of the runway and impacted an 18 inch snow berm, resulting in the aircraft nosing over and coming to rest in an inverted position. The pilot stated that as far as he could tell the instructor provided no assistance in helping him recover from the loss of control, and that he had told the instructor prior to the flight that he still wasn't comfortable with the airplane. In a statement provided to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC), the right seat instructor pilot stated that following the wheel landing and during the landing rollout, the aircraft began a "slight" swerve. "The pilot was correcting properly and then encountered a secondary swerve. The runway was clear but wet. The pilot was unable to completely correct the secondary swerve in time." The instructor pilot stated that the aircraft then left the runway at a slight angle and subsequently the main wheels plowed through a snow bank at the edge of the runway, started a slow nose over, and came to rest upside down. An FAA inspector, who examined the wreckage, reported the outboard section of the left wing from the upper strut attach point was bent down approximately 20 degrees and had sustained substantial damage. The inspector also reported the vertical stabilizer and rudder were substantially damaged. At 1053, the weather observation facility at DEW reported wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, broken clouds at 7,000 feet MSL, overcast clouds at 9,000 feet MSL, and an altimeter setting of 30.20 inches of Mercury. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - on ground/water, landing - roll - directional control - not maintained, dual student (cause) - remedial action - not performed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - Nose over, landing - roll - terrain condition - snowbank (contributing factor) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N185WB](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N185WB), registered now, S/N 18504105, built 1980 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 185F - Registry model: [Cessna 185](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-185) (registry code 2072802) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18504105 - Airframe hours: 1954 - Engines: Continental IO-520D 285 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, February 2, 2003, 51 hours before - Departed: DEW, Deer Park, WA - Destination: DEW, Deer Park, WA - Airport: DEW, Deer Park Airport, runway 16, 6,100 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 63; injuries: none; airline transport, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; last flight review April 13, 2003; seat: right; flight hours: 15,207 total, 7,004 in this make and model, 14,358 as pilot in command, 24 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 62; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review March 19, 2003; seat: left; flight hours: 3,145 total, 4 in this make and model, 3,024 as pilot in command, 48 in the last 90 days, 9 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 4,790 ft broken - Temperature: 34 °F, dew point 34 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: DEW ## 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 20040114000629A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040114000629A), Jan 14, 2004: Cessna 185, Deer Park, WA, Substantial damage. (-23) The pilot-in-command and his instructor were practicing landings on this dual instructional flight at the Deer Park Airport. The final landing attempted… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date; 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.