On April 23, 2015, about 1240 Alaska daylight time, a wheel/ski equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N4554F, sustained substantial damage during an emergency landing, shortly after takeoff from the Nome City Field, Nome, Alaska. The airplane was registered to, and operated by, the certificated commercial pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight destined to White Mountain, Alaska.

During a telephone interview the pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that after a normal takeoff roll, just as the airplane became airborne, he heard a "loud bang," and then he noticed that the left side wheel/ski assembly had rotated up and near the left side window. The pilot then elected to return to the departure runway for an emergency landing, and he crabbed the airplane into the wind as to hold the wheel/ski assembly close to the airplane during the return flight back to the airport.

During touchdown, as airplane settled to the runway and the left main landing gear leg contacted the ground, the left main landing gear leg collapsed, and the left wing struck the ground, sustaining substantial damage.

A postaccident inspection of the airplane by an FAA inspector revealed that the left main landing gear leg assembly fractured near the axel through bolts, which caused the ski to rotate up near the window during takeoff. The fractured gear leg and maintenance records were not made available to the NTSB for examination.

The aircraft had been modified via Supplemental Type Certificate (STC), SA1907NM, for the instillation of Schnider Model SWS-4000 C-19 wheel skies.