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Atlas / NTSB / CEN21LA152

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CEN21LA152

2021-03-07 Pueblo, Colorado, United States Airport · PUB None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N185RF

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

CESSNA A185F

Year of manufacture

1976 · 45 years old at event

Engine

CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)

Seats / Engines

6 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19920608

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A154BC

Registrant of record

CIELO AZUL LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control in gusting crosswind conditions.

Factual narrative

The pilot stated that he completed a landing in gusting wind conditions with 40° of flaps extended. During the landing roll as the airplane reached the taxiway, a wind gust lifted the right wing and the left wing struck the ground. After several seconds the right wing lowered and he taxied to the ramp. He added that there no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The pilot recommended that he should have been proactive in utilizing the ailerons for crosswind control, and that he should have raised the flaps sooner. The pilot reported that he had landed in gusting wind conditions with 40° of flaps extended, when during the landing roll as the airplane reached the taxiway, a wind gust lifted the right wing, and the left wing struck the ground. After several seconds the right wing lowered, and he taxied the airplane to the ramp. 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. At the time of the accident, the pilot had landed on runway 08R and was about to turn onto taxiway A4 with the wind from the southeast at 11 knots with gusts to 26 knots. The pilot reported that he should have been proactive in utilizing the ailerons for crosswind control, and that he should have raised the flaps sooner. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-(general)-Effect on equipment
  • Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-(general)-Response/compensation
  • Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
  • Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_CEN21LA152.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.