NTSB ATL87LA236 — 1987-08-22 · MT AIRY, North Carolina, United States

Current FAA registration · N3463Y

Make / Model: CESSNA A185F
Year of manufacture: 1975 · 12 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19751229
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A3D670

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N3463Y Cessna A185F None

Factual narrative

AFTER CESSNA 185, N3462Y, ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RWY 18, THE UNICOM OPERATOR WARNED THE PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. THE OTHER ACFT WAS A MOONEY MITE, N4129. THE CESSNA PLT CONTD HIS APCH, BUT DIDN'T SEE THE MOONEY MITE UNTIL AFTER THE CESSNA TOUCHED DOWN. WHEN THE CESSNA PLT LOWERED HIS NOSE IN A WHEEL LNDG, HE SAW THE OTHER ACFT COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DRCTN. THE MOONEY MITE PLT SAID HE WAS ON THE 1ST 1/3 OF RWY 36 WHEN HE SAW THE CESSNA ON THE 1ST 1/3 OF RWY 18. BOTH PLTS STEERED TO THE RIGHT. AS THE CESSNA WENT OFF THE RWY, THE PLT WAS APPLYING FULL BRAKES. HE SAID THE ACFT 'MIRED DOWN IN THE GRASS' & FLIPPED OVER. THE MOONEY MITE DID NOT HAVE AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (NO RADIO OR LGTS).THE SUN HAD JUST SET & THE RWY LGTS WERE ON. ACCORDING TO THE MOONEY MITE PLT, THERE WAS STILL 'GOOD LIGHT' & THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. THE CESSNA PLT RPRTD THE WIND WAS CALM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1987_ATL87LA236.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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