On October 27, 1986, a Cessna 185 (registration N5195H) operated by Four Winds Aviation was involved in an aviation accident near Oakley, KS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed during approach, resulting in a long landing and subsequent propeller strike due to excessive braking. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A pilot acknowledged that a rushed landing approach led to a long touchdown, causing the aircraft's propeller to strike the runway before flipping over onto its back.
What happened
The pilot reported that his final approach was conducted at an excessive airspeed. This resulted in the aircraft touching down significantly beyond the intended point on the runway. Upon applying the brakes to slow the aircraft, the nose pitched downward abruptly. This action caused the propeller to strike the runway surface. Following the impact, the aircraft continued its momentum and flipped over onto its back.
The investigation
During the review of the incident, the pilot provided a candid assessment of his actions leading up to the accident. He acknowledged that he was rushing the approach rather than maintaining proper speed control. He admitted that he should have executed a go-around procedure to attempt another landing instead of persisting with the unstable approach.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this accident was the pilot's decision to rush the landing phase. This haste led to an uncontrolled descent rate and excessive touchdown distance. The subsequent braking action combined with the high nose attitude resulted in ground contact with the propeller, which ultimately caused the aircraft to roll over.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain proper airspeed during approach, resulting in a long landing and subsequent propeller strike due to excessive braking.