- Date
- February 1, 2022, 13:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Gila Bend, AZ · N32°57.61' / W112°40.42'
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N185DGCessna A185F
- Defining event
- Landing: 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 FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220201001369A
- Case key
- 104591
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 landing 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 passenger in the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, while the pilot was practicing a touch-and-go landing, the airplane touched down, and immediately veered right. The passenger believed that the pilot “froze” on the controls, so the passenger attempted to “intervene,” but the airplane continued to veer right. The airplane exited the runway and collided with terrain. The lower fuselage was substantially damaged. The director of maintenance reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185DG
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503802
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 7,153
- Engine
- Continental IO-520-D, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Western Pilot Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Western Pilot Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 24, 2021 · 88 hours before
- Departed
- KAVQ · Marana, AZ
- Destination
- E63 · Gila Bend, AZ
- Airport
- E63 · Gila Bend Municipal Airport, runway 22, 5,200 × 75 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 22, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,383 total · 25 in this make and model · 1,593 as pilot in command · 52.1 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot-rated passenger
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2020
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,534 total · 80 in this make and model · 1,450 as pilot in command · 174 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 65 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 2976.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KGYR, 32 nm away
- METAR
- SA 01/02/2022 22:47-> METAR KGYR 012247Z VRB03KT 10SM BKN160 BKN200 19/M06 A2975= SA 01/02/2022 21:47-> METAR KGYR 012147Z VRB04KT 10SM BKN160 BKN200 20/M06 A2976=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 20, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.3 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.
Other investigations on N185DG · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.