CEN19LA108

Factual narrative

On March 23, 2019, about 1730 central daylight time, a Cessna 185 airplane, N2744Q, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lafayette, Louisiana. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, reported that the flight was uneventful and that the touchdown and rollout was "smooth" until he began to turn the airplane off the runway onto the taxiway. At that time, the right brake "grabbed very hard" and the airplane ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the left aileron and left wing structure. Postaccident examination of the brakes revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, stated that the flight was uneventful and that the touchdown and rollout was "smooth" until he began to turn the airplane off the runway onto the taxiway. At that time, the right brake "grabbed very hard" and the airplane ground looped, resulting in substantial damage to the left aileron and left wing structure. Postaccident examination of the brakes revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

• — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained