- Date
- December 4, 2022, 10:15, time zone not recorded
- Place
- Fergus Falls, MN · KFFM
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N926HMCessna A185F
- 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
- 20221204018269A
- Case key
- 106424
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, resulting in a runway excursion.
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 of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane drifted off the left edge of the runway. Corrective action was attempted, however the airplane encountered ice off the side of the runway preventing recovery. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and right-side lower fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N926HM
- Reported as
- Cessna A185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18502422
- Built
- 1974
- Airframe hours
- 2,434
- Engine
- Continental IO-520D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 1, 2022
- Destination
- KPUB · Pueblo, CO
- Airport
- FFM · Fergus Falls Municipal Airport, runway 31, 5,639 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot
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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 2,275 total · 32 in this make and model · 2,275 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 14 °F, dew point 9 °F
- Altimeter
- 2995.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KFFM
- METAR
- KFFM 041515Z AUTO 21006KT 10SM CLR M10/M13 A2995
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 5, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.