Cessna A185 N60934

Summary

On 1 August 2020 at about 19:00 local time, a Cessna A185 registered N60934 was involved in an accident near Susanville, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 August 2020 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Susanville, California, United States

Nearest airport

Spaulding (1Q2)

Coordinates

40.6503, -120.7686

Aircraft

Cessna A185

Registration

N60934

Category

Airplane

Year built

1980

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Yuba City → Susanville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR20CA275

Nobody was injured.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB 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.        

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.