SEA03LA171

Factual narrative

On August 17, 2003, approximately 1330 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 185, N185LC, nosed over during the landing roll at Sawyer Field, Emmett, Idaho. The airline transport pilot and one of his passengers were not injured, but a second passenger received minor injuries. The aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which was in the VFR traffic pattern at Sawyer Field, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the pilot, who was operating his tailwheel-equipped aircraft in variable gusting winds, he had completed one touch-and-go landing at Emmett, and was on the landing roll of his second. Soon after touchdown, the aircraft encountered a right quartering tailwind that pushed it toward the left side of the runway. As part of his attempt to maintain directional control while he brought the aircraft to a stop in the tailwind conditions, the pilot applied differential braking. During this sequence of events, the aircraft nosed over on the runway surface. According to the pilot, there did not seem to be anything wrong with the aircraft's brakes or flight controls, and without the effects of the tailwind, the aircraft probably would not have nosed over. In the recommendation section of the pilot report that he submitted to the NTSB, the pilot wrote, "Don't try to land with quartering tailwind." The pilot, who was operating his tailwheel-equipped aircraft in variable gusting winds, had completed one touch-and-go landing, and was on the landing roll of his second. Soon after touchdown, the aircraft encountered a right quartering tailwind that pushed it toward the left side of the runway. As part of his attempt to maintain directional control while he brought the aircraft to a stop in the tailwind conditions, the pilot applied differential braking. During this sequence of events, the pilot failed to reduce his level of brake application to a level that would compensate for the effects of the tailwind, and therefore the aircraft nosed over on the runway surface. According to the pilot, there did not seem to be anything wrong with the aircraft's brakes or flight controls. According to the pilot, without the effects of the tailwind, the aircraft probably would not have nosed over. In the recommendation section of the pilot report that he submitted to the NTSB, the pilot wrote, "Don't try to land with quartering tailwind." Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12