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LAX99LA249

1999-07-09 · BECKWOURTH, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport O02

Current FAA registration · N6XS

Make / Model
CESSNA A185E
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19990615
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A7C4AB

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions and subsequent failure to maintain directional control.

Factual narrative

On July 9, 1999, about 1400 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 185, N6XS, veered off the runway and collapsed the right landing gear while landing at the Nervino airport near Beckwourth, California. Skydive Lake Tahoe operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The local personal flight originated at 1300. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot stated he was landing on runway 25 when he encountered a dust devil on touchdown and veered into the dirt beside the runway. The right main gear strut broke and the right wing hit the ground. The closest official weather reporting station is the Reno, Nevada, airport, which is 33 miles from the accident site. At the time, the station was reporting winds of 3 knots. The pilot said he was landing on runway 25 and encountered a dust devil on touchdown. The airplane veered off the runway and into the dirt area beside the pavement, collapsing the right main landing gear. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1999_LAX99LA249.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.