NTSB SEA92LA071 — 1992-04-09 · BILLINGS, Montana, United States

Current FAA registration · N135NC

Make / Model: CESSNA A185F
Year of manufacture: 1980 · 12 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19800118
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A08EF3

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N135NC Cessna A185F None

Probable cause & findings

A WORN TAILWHEEL STEERING SYSTEM AND INADEQUATE INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CROSSWIND CONDITION.

Factual narrative

WHILE LANDING THE TAILWHEEL AIRPLANE WITH A DIRECT X-WIND FROM THE RIGHT, THE AIRPLANE SWERVED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND GROUND LOOPED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAILWHEEL WOULD FREELY SWIVEL TO THE RIGHT RESULTING IN NO STEERING TO THE LEFT. THIS FREE CASTERING WAS CAUSED BY WEAR ON ONE SIDE OF THE LATCH SPRING, AND CORRESPONDING WEAR IN THE SPRING NOTCH IN THE STEERING ARM ASSEMBLY. THE RUDDER STILL HAD FULL TRAVEL AVAILABLE BOTH TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1992_SEA92LA071.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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