- Date
- May 2, 2021, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Driggs, ID
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9BBCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20210502007979A
- Case key
- 103018
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 gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a ground loop.
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, while landing on runway 4, a gust of wind caused the airplane to veer left. The pilot used rudder control and added power to no avail. The airplane ground looped to the right and the left landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and the left horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 350° at 8 knots
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9BB
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503356
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 300 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 10, 2020 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- BTF · Bountiful, UT
- Destination
- DIJ · Driggs, ID
- Airport
- DIJ · Driggs-Reed Meml, runway 04, 2,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 71
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 10,000 total · 400 in this make and model · 10,000 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KDIJ, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KDIJ 021556Z AUTO 33009KT 10SM OVC022 07/03 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP098 T00670028
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 N9BB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.