No fatalities

9 Apr 2016: CESSNA A185 F — EARTH ANGEL AVIATORS INC. — Chesterfield, MO

Chesterfield, MO, United States

On 9 Apr 2016, a CESSNA A185 F operated by EARTH ANGEL AVIATORS INC. was involved in an aviation accident near Chesterfield, MO. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and a wing strike. 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

During landing roll in gusty crosswind, a tailwheel airplane veered right despite left rudder and brake, ground looped, and struck left wing. Substantial damage to left wing and elevator. No mechanical issues reported.

Accident Details

The pilot of a tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll in gusty crosswind conditions, the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot applied left rudder and brake in an attempt to correct the deviation, but the airplane executed a ground loop to the right. During the ground loop, the left wing struck the runway surface, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator.

The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Weather Conditions

An automated weather observing system at the airport provided wind data around the time of the accident. The wind was reported as 080 degrees true at 7 knots. The airplane was landing on runway 26.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and left elevator. No other damage was reported.

Contributing factors

Causes

PilotDirectional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Ability to respond/compensate