NTSB CAROL · Event
Event WPR24LA199
Registry · N2768J
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
CESSNA A185E
Year of manufacture
1969 · 55 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR IO 520 SERIES (285 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19690507
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2C03F
Registrant of record
RUSSELL MARK ALEX
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
Loss of directional control during the takeoff roll.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during takeoff, the airplane encountered a wind gust, resulting in a ground loop to the left. The right main landing gear collapsed, and the right wing contacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was taking off on runway 11 with a calm wind. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Directional control-Not attained/maintained
- — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation
- — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Gusts-Effect on operation
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2024_WPR24LA199.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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