- Date
- May 21, 1999, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Othello, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N50AUCessna A185E
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19990521042729A
- Case key
- 46453
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 pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions after landing. Factors include gusty winds.
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
As the pilot started turning final on runway 25, he noted a little drift to the right, but he said he straightened out easily and flew straight on touchdown. The aircraft was still flying straight as it was slowing down, when a gust of wind weathercocked the airplane toward the left. The airplane left the runway heading towards a hay field, but before reaching the field, the right landing gear hit a concrete drain inspection pipe, separating the landing gear. The right wing tip struck the ground, turning the aircraft to the right.
Factual narrative
On May 21, 1999, approximately 1300 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna A185E, N50AU, sustained substantial damage during a ground-loop after landing on runway 25 at Othello, Washington. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured during this personal flight from Pasco, Washington. There was no flight plan filed for the flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. There was no report of an ELT actuating.
The pilot stated that he encountered a gust of wind during the landing roll and the airplane ground-looped, damaging the right landing gear and the right wing struck the ground. He stated that "As I started turning final on runway 25 there was a little drift to the right, but I straightened out easily and I flew straight on touchdown. The aircraft was still flying straight as I was slowing down when all of a sudden a gust of wind came and weathervaned me toward the left . I left the runway heading towards a hay field, but before I got to the field the right landing gear hit a concrete drain inspection pipe. This sheared the landing gear off, which caused the right wing to hit the ground, turning the aircraft to the right stopping the plane."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50AU
- Reported as
- Cessna A185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1851368
- Airframe hours
- 4,475
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alfred J. Ochoa
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 28, 1999
- Departed
- Pasco, WA
- Destination
- S7O
- Airport
- S70 · Othello Municipal, runway 25, 4,200 × 45 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 839 total · 40 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KMW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.