Cessna 185 N185LC

Summary

On 17 August 2003 at about 20:30 local time, a Cessna 185 registered N185LC was involved in an accident near Emmett, Idaho, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 August 2003 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Emmett, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

Emmett Municipal (S78)

Coordinates

43.8497, -116.5428

Aircraft

Cessna 185

Registration

N185LC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Emmett → Emmett

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA03LA171

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for a quartering tailwind during the initial part of the landing roll, and his failure to adequately decrease his brake applications to compensate for the tailwind conditions. Factors include, variable, gusting winds, and a tailwind during the landing roll..

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot, who was operating his tailwheel-equipped aircraft in variable gusting winds, had completed one touch-and-go landing, and was on the landing roll of his second. Soon after touchdown, the aircraft encountered a right quartering tailwind that pushed it toward the left side of the runway. As part of his attempt to maintain directional control while he brought the aircraft to a stop in the tailwind conditions, the pilot applied differential braking. During this sequence of events, the pilot failed to reduce his level of brake application to a level that would compensate for the effects of the tailwind, and therefore the aircraft nosed over on the runway surface. According to the pilot, there did not seem to be anything wrong with the aircraft's brakes or flight controls. According to the pilot, without the effects of the tailwind, the aircraft probably would not have nosed over. In the recommendation section of the pilot report that he submitted to the NTSB, the pilot wrote, "Don't try to land with quartering tailwind."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.