NTSB WPR11CA406 — 2011-08-21 · Polson, Montana, United States

Current FAA registration · N61609

Make / Model: CESSNA A185F
Year of manufacture: 1981 · 30 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR IO-550 SERIES (300 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 20021230
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A80782

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N61609 Cessna A185F None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot said that during landing his tailwheel equipped airplane encountered a gust of wind. He experienced a loss of directional control and the left wing and elevator struck the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The pilot reported no malfunctions prior to the accident. The pilot said that, while landing in his tailwheel-equipped airplane, he encountered a gust of wind. He experienced a loss of directional control and the left wing and elevator struck the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and elevator. The pilot stated that the airplane had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained - C
C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_WPR11CA406.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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