No fatalities

23 Jun 2010: CESSNA A185F — Keith Peterman — Bryce Canyon, UT

Bryce Canyon, UT, United States

On 23 Jun 2010, a CESSNA A185F operated by Keith Peterman was involved in an aviation accident near Bryce Canyon, UT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's inadequate compensation for the crosswinds during takeoff. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot departing from an airport in variable winds elected runway 30. The airplane drifted left during takeoff, the right wing dragged, and it exited the runway, striking brush and sustaining damage.

Departure and Drift

The pilot was departing from the airport with variable winds, including reported gusts to 15 knots. Due to the variable conditions, he chose to depart from runway 30. The airplane accelerated normally down the runway, and the pilot applied forward elevator to prevent a premature lift-off.

During the takeoff roll, the airplane began to drift to the left. The pilot applied aileron and rudder but was unable to return the airplane to the center of the runway. Subsequently, the right wing began to drag on the surface. The pilot then closed the throttle, and the airplane struck brush with the right wing down.

Final Position and Damage

The airplane came to rest about 100 feet to the left of the runway edge and approximately 1,500 feet from the departure end of the runway. The landing gear, engine, and empennage sustained damage.

Reported Conditions

The pilot did not report any preaccident mechanical anomalies. Winds recorded at the airport 15 minutes prior to the accident were from the southeast at 13 knots, gusting to 18 knots. Ten minutes prior, winds were from the south-southeast at 9 knots, gusting to 17 knots. At the time of the accident, winds were from the south at 16 knots, gusting to 21 knots.

Contributing factors

Crosswind correction — Not attained/maintainedResponse/compensationPilot