Casualties unknown

2003-06-26: Cessna 185F (N6497E) — Lexington, OR

Lexington, OR, US

On June 26, 2003, a Cessna 185F (registration N6497E) was involved in an aviation accident near Lexington, OR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing roll. A partially deflated tire and soft terrain were factors. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 1781061362Data APIEditorial standards

During a wheel landing, the aircraft pulled left, and the pilot's corrective actions led to a runway excursion. The right main gear encountered soft terrain, causing the aircraft to spin and the left wing and horizontal stabilizer to contact the ground.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot, after performing two or three touch-and-go landings, he departed the airport to practice aerial proficiency maneuvers. Upon his return, he made a wheel landing. Although the touchdown and the initial part of the landing roll were uneventful, just as he was starting to lower the tail the aircraft started pulling to the left.

He attempted to realign the aircraft with the runway by using right rudder and additional braking on the right wheel. However, according to the pilot, he overcorrected and inadvertently redirected the aircraft toward the right side of the runway. As he continued trying to get the aircraft aligned with the runway, it departed the right side of the landing surface.

As the right main gear departed the runway, it encountered soft terrain, and the aircraft spun quickly around to the right. During this sequence of events, the left wing and horizontal stabilizer contacted the surface of the ground.

Pilot's Statement

Following the incident, the pilot stated that he thought he may have had a partially deflated or flat tire on the left main landing gear.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20030714X01093. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.