Cessna A185F N8548Q

Summary

On 26 September 2005 at about 19:46 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N8548Q was involved in an accident near Tracy, California, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 September 2005 at 19:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Tracy, California, United States

Nearest airport

Tracy Municipal Airport (TCY)

Coordinates

37.6931, -121.4475

Aircraft

Cessna A185F

Registration

N8548Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tracy → Corvallis

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05LA317

Nobody was injured.

loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the takeoff initial climb the engine experienced a partial loss of power and the landing gear collapsed during an ensuing off-airport forced landing in an open field. Upon arriving at the airport, the pilot conducted a preflight inspection, which included checking the fuel tanks for contamination. No discrepancies were noted with the preflight inspection, start-up, taxi to the active runway, or run-up. Shortly after takeoff the pilot reduced the throttle and revolutions per minute (rpm) to 25 inches of manifold pressure (MAP) and 2,500 rpm for best rate of climb. Shortly after that the pilot noticed that the climb performance was substandard and decaying, and the engine seemed to have a reduced power output. Due to the marginal climb performance and decaying power state of the engine, the pilot decided to land in an open field. During a turn to remain over the intended landing site, the engine started to misfire. Engine power continued to decay even though the throttle was full forward, mixture set at rich, and the fuel selector was selected to BOTH. While on downwind he noted obstructions at the end of his intended landing site. At the current rate of descent, he believed that the airplane would overrun the field and impact the obstructions. He lowered the flaps to 20 degrees and initiated a left 90-degree turn for a clearer area in which to land. During the flare, the left wing tip impacted the ground first, the airplane bounced, and when it touched down again, the right main landing gear collapsed. A post accident inspection and ground run of the engine was conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector with no preimpact mechanical anomalies identified that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.