Event SEA92LA071

1992-04-09 BILLINGS, Montana, United States Airport · BIL None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N135NC

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

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

Registrant of record

BALOCCO MARK E

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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