- Date
- August 1, 2020, 12:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Susanville, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N60934Cessna A185
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20200801013279A
- Case key
- 101819
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 takeoff with a tailwind, which resulted in a subsequent collapse of the right main landing gear.
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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, the winds at the time of takeoff were about 17 mph from the east. After he departed a runway from the southeast, the airplane weathervaned into the wind and was pushed to the left side of the runway. The pilot quickly corrected the movement, but in doing so the airplane's right main landing gear impacted the runway surface hard. Seconds later after he departed, the pilot flew low over the runway for ground observers to inspect the landing gear, but they reported no abnormalities. The pilot returned to the departure runway, but shortly after landing, the right main landing gear separated. The right wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that could have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, the winds at the time of takeoff were about 17 mph from the east. After he departed a runway from the southeast, the airplane weathervaned into the wind and was pushed to the left side of the runway. The pilot quickly corrected the movement, but in doing so the airplane's right main landing gear impacted the runway surface hard. Seconds later after he departed, the pilot flew low over the runway for ground observers to inspect the landing gear, but they reported no abnormalities. The pilot returned to the departure runway, but shortly after landing, the right main landing gear separated. The right wing was substantially damaged. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies that could have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N60934
- Reported as
- Cessna A185 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18504079
- Built
- 1980
- Airframe hours
- 3,111
- Engine
- Continental IO-550D3B, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 16, 2020 · 1,391 hours before
- Departed
- O52 · Yuba City, CA
- Destination
- 1Q2 · Susanville, CA
- Airport
- 1Q2 · Spaulding, runway 16, 4,600 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Handheld GPS
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
- 76
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 12, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 9,889 total · 3,111 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- 18 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 7, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.7 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.