No fatalities

13 Jul 2013: CESSNA A185F — Kenai, AK

Kenai, AK, United States

On 13 Jul 2013, a CESSNA A185F was involved in an aviation accident near Kenai, AK. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's loss of control of the airplane while landing in variable wind conditions. 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 tailwheel airplane flipped over during landing at an off-airport beach site after encountering windshear, resulting in substantial damage.

Accident Summary

A tailwheel-equipped airplane sustained substantial damage after flipping over during landing at an off-airport beach landing site. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.

Sequence of Events

According to the pilot, before landing he checked the wind conditions with pilots on the ground at the remote beach site, where he had landed many times before. After touchdown, the pilot encountered windshear, during which the wind direction changed to a tailwind that got up under the airplane's tail. The airplane suddenly veered left and did not respond to the pilot's control inputs. The pilot stated that the airplane was not in a position that would enable a go-around attempt.

Damage

The airplane flipped over, sustaining damage to the landing gear, wing, vertical stabilizer, fuselage, and propeller. No other injuries or damage were reported.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotPerformance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome