- Date
- May 18, 2009, 08:47 local (15:47 UTC)
- Place
- Tacoma, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N70083Cessna 185E
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090518006459A
- Case key
- 73874
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 failure to maintain directional control while landing with a crosswind.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot stated that after performing a wheel landing on Runway 17, the tailwheel-equipped airplane initially tracked straight along the runway centerline. During the landing roll, the airplane started to veer to the right. Despite his control inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right and ground looped. The airplane came to rest in a nose-low attitude on the right side of the runway. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both wings were structurally damaged. The weather reporting station located at the airport reported wind from 220 degrees at 8 knots six minutes after the time of the accident. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane's flight control system prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that after performing a wheel landing on Runway 17, the tailwheel-equipped airplane initially tracked straight along the runway centerline. During the landing roll, the airplane started to veer to the right. Despite his control inputs, the airplane continued to veer to the right and ground looped. The airplane came to rest in a nose-low attitude on the right side of the runway. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both wings were structurally damaged. The weather reporting station located at the airport reported wind from 220 degrees at 8 knots six minutes after the time of the accident. The pilot reported no anomalies with the airplane's flight control system prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N70083
- Reported as
- Cessna 185E
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18501950
- Airframe hours
- 7,663
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Air Rainier, Inc
- Registered owner
- Air Rainier, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 2008 · 54 hours before
- Departed
- CLM · Port Angeles, WA
- Destination
- TIW · Tacoma, WA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- TIW · Tacoma Narrows, runway 17, 5,002 × 150 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 21, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,028 total · 390 in this make and model · 10,860 as pilot in command · 162 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Observed at
- TIW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 4, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 419 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N70083 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.