Cessna A185F N185GS

Summary

On 21 July 2024 at about 14:07 local time, a Cessna A185F registered N185GS was involved in an accident near Rural Retreat, Virginia, United States. One person was 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

21 July 2024 at 14:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Rural Retreat, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Mountain Empire (MKJ)

Coordinates

36.8948, -81.3499

Aircraft

Cessna A185F

Registration

N185GS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Abingdon → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA312

Nobody was injured.

A loss of directional control during the landing roll.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that after completing a short cross-country flight, he entered the airport pattern for a full-stop landing. The pilot described that he configured the airplane up for a “full stall, 3-point landing” and upon touching down, the airplane “abruptly swerved to the right.” The pilot recounted that it felt “as if the right brake was applied” but reported that both of his feet were off the brakes. The pilot applied left brake, but it was ineffective because the left wheel was pulled off the runway by the abrupt swerve to the right. To compensate, the pilot increased throttle input, which inadvertently resulted in the airplane beginning a climb away from the runway before entering a descending left turn. Following the accident, a Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane’s wheels, tires, and brakes, and found no evidence of any anomalies. A subsequent detailed inspection of the right brake by a mechanic revealed that the internal components of the brake had little wear and showed no evidence of damage or defects. The left main landing gear separated from the fuselage during the accident sequence, therefore the integrity of the hydraulic system used to actuate the brake could not be evaluated.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.