- Date
- August 31, 2012, 09:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Gerlach, NV
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3946QCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120831021949A
- Case key
- 84879
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 the takeoff roll.
Findings · 2
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 said that he had landed on a small, dry lake bed. He departed with a slight left crosswind, and the airplane began to weathervane to the left. The pilot was unable to counteract the left-turning tendency with the rudder, so he aborted the takeoff. When he applied the brakes, the airplane ground looped to the left, bending the right wing and horizontal stabilizer. Postaccident examination revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot said that he had landed on a small dry lake bed or playa. He departed with a light left crosswind, and the airplane began to weathervane to the left. He said he was unable to counteract the left turning tendency with the rudder, so he aborted the takeoff. During the application of brakes, the aircraft ground looped to the left bending the right wing and horizontal stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3946Q
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502213
- Airframe hours
- 4,711
- Engine
- Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mennen Paul
- Registered owner
- Mennen Paul
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 2012
- Departed
- 88NV · Black Rock City, NV
- Destination
- Gerlach, NV
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 27, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 665 total · 230 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- AAT, 78 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 13, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 613 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.