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CEN20CA101

2020-02-22 · Hawley, Minnesota, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 04Y

Current FAA registration · N550FK

Make / Model
CESSNA A185F
Year of manufacture
1977 · 43 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO-550 SERIES (300 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19990330
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A6FFF2

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's improper landing flare and touchdown, which resulted in a bounced landing and loss of directional control and the airplane's subsequent impact with a snowbank and ground loop during an attempted go-around.

Factual narrative

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that while on the base leg, he decided to perform a three-point landing and applied "2 notches of flaps." During the landing flare, the pilot moved the flaps to the 4th notch to avoid bouncing during the landing. Upon touchdown, the airplane's tailwheel landed first; the airplane bounced on its main landing gear and drifted to the right. The pilot attempted to correct by adding power and initiating a go-around. Subsequently, the right main landing gear contacted a snow bank on the edge of the runway, the airplane ground looped and came to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, while on the base leg, he decided to perform a three-point landing with "2 notches of flaps." During the landing flare, the pilot realized the airplane was a "bit high," so he moved the flaps to the fourth notch to avoid bouncing during the landing. The tailwheel touched down first, and the airplane then bounced on its main landing gear and drifted right. The pilot attempted to correct by adding power and initiating a go-around, but the right main landing gear contacted a snowbank on the edge of the runway, and the airplane ground looped and then came to rest on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
  • C Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Snow/ice-Effect on operation - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_CEN20CA101.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (go-around). All research papers