No fatalities

22 Feb 2020: Cessna A185 F — Hawley, MN

Hawley, MN, United States

On 22 Feb 2020, a Cessna A185 F was involved in an aviation accident near Hawley, MN. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's improper landing flare and touchdown, which resulted in a bounced landing and loss of directional control and the airplane's subsequent impact with a snowbank and ground loop during an attempted go-around. 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 bounced during landing, drifted right, and during a go-around the right main gear struck a snow bank, causing a ground loop and substantial left wing damage. No mechanical issues were reported.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported an accident involving a tailwheel-equipped airplane during a landing attempt. The pilot stated that while on the base leg of the traffic pattern, he decided to perform a three-point landing and applied two notches of flaps. During the landing flare, he moved the flaps to the fourth notch in an effort to avoid bouncing upon touchdown.

Sequence of Events

Upon touchdown, the airplane's tailwheel contacted the runway first. The airplane then bounced on its main landing gear and subsequently drifted to the right. The pilot attempted to correct the situation by adding power and initiating a go-around. However, during this maneuver, the right main landing gear contacted a snow bank located on the edge of the runway. The airplane then ground looped and came to rest on its nose.

Aircraft Damage

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. No other damage was specified in the report.

Pilot's Statement

The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. No other contributing factors were identified in the pilot's account.

Contributing factors

Landing flare — Not attained/maintainedDirectional control — Not attained/maintainedPilotEffect on operation