NTSB WPR22LA091 — 2022-02-01 · Gila Bend, Arizona, United States

Current FAA registration · N185DG

Make / Model: CESSNA A185F
Engine: CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines: 6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19880603
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A15391

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N185DG Cessna A185F None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll

Factual narrative

The passenger in the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, while the pilot was practicing a touch-and-go landing, the airplane touched down, and immediately veered right. The passenger believed that the pilot “froze” on the controls, so the passenger attempted to “intervene,” but the airplane continued to veer right. The airplane exited the runway and collided with terrain. The lower fuselage was substantially damaged. The director of maintenance reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

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

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_WPR22LA091.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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Related research

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