- Date
- October 18, 2009, 09:55 local (15:55 UTC)
- Place
- Sand Coulee, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N1677RCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 19, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091018053569A
- Case key
- 74927
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 during 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 reported that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a grass runway, with a 30-degree right crosswind. He reported that when the airplane touched down, during the landing rollout, the right wing "came up" and the airplane began to swerve. The pilot reported that he was able to correct the swerve; however, the left wing "hit the turf," which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was landing the tailwheel-equipped airplane on a grass runway, with a 30-degree right crosswind. He reported that when the airplane touched down, during the landing rollout, the right wing "came up" and the airplane began to swerve. The pilot reported he was able to correct the swerve; however the left wing "hit the turf," which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1677R
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-02400
- Airframe hours
- 3,713
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Prill Daniel F
- Registered owner
- Prill Daniel F
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 2009
- Departed
- 1MT7 · Great Falls, MT
- Destination
- Great Falls, MT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 1MT7 · Prill Field, runway 18, 3,160 × 50 ft, grass/turf
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,704 total · 963 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB 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.