How many accidents has the Cessna A185 had?

The NTSB has recorded 452 events involving the Cessna A185: 58 fatal, 20 serious, 48 minor injuries, and 325 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna A185 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna A185 has 452 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna A185 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 452 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.

452

All Events

325

Incidents

Minor

Serious

Fatal (100 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Sep 02, 1991	CONCHAS DAM, NM	N93272	Incident	substantial	LANDING GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM LOOSE, LANDING GEAR WHEEL DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY, AND MAINTENANCE ALIGNMENT NOT PERFORMED. FACTORS WERE: PROPELLER GOV… LANDING GEAR LOCKING MECHANISM LOOSE, LANDING GEAR WHEEL DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY, AND MAINTENANCE ALIGNMENT NOT PERFORMED. FACTORS WERE: PROPELLER GOVERNOR UNDERSPEED, MAINTENANCE ADJUSTMENT NOT CORRECTED, AND LOWERING OF FLAPS NOT PERFORMED.
Jun 15, 1991	KING SALMON, AK	N70148	Incident	substantial	FUEL EXHAUSTION, THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT AND THE INADEQUATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SOFT TERRAI… FUEL EXHAUSTION, THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT AND THE INADEQUATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE SOFT TERRAIN, AND TUNDRA.
May 03, 1991	ORTING, WA	N2450J	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS A VIBRATION IN THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR.
Mar 08, 1991	SHAGELUK, AK	N1855Q	Incident	substantial	THE COLLAPSE OF THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR DURING THE LANDING ROLL DUE TO PREEXISTING CRACKS.
Aug 15, 1990	OVANDO, MT	N8343Q	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF ALTITUDE AND DISTANCE TO THE RUNWAY, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT FOR LAN… THE PILOT'S MISJUDGEMENT OF ALTITUDE AND DISTANCE TO THE RUNWAY, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT FOR LANDING. THE FENCE WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Jul 14, 1990	DISCOVERY BAY, CA	N888BL	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S IMPROPER VISUAL LOOKOUT TO ASSURE THE AREA WAS CLEAR OF BOATS BEFORE DEPARTING.
Jun 13, 1990	ERIE, CO	N8389Q	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION TO CHOOSE SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CFI'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISI… FAILURE OF THE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION TO CHOOSE SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE LANDING. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CFI'S INADEQUATE SUPERVISION.
Mar 20, 1990	ALEXANDER LAKE, AK	N3386L	Incident	substantial	LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Jan 14, 1990	HOUSTON, TX	N8785Z	Incident	substantial	INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR WIND CONDITIONS BY THE PILOT, AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE UNFAVORABLE WIND WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Nov 07, 1989	ANCHORAGE, AK	N1592F	Incident	substantial	THE THROTTLE CONTROL LINKAGE BECAME DISCONNECTED ON THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. DARKNESS AND HIGH VEGETA… THE THROTTLE CONTROL LINKAGE BECAME DISCONNECTED ON THE FIRST FLIGHT AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION DUE TO IMPROPER MAINTENANCE. DARKNESS AND HIGH VEGETATION WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
Sep 08, 1989	BIG BEAR CITY, CA	N252W	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS.
Jun 24, 1989	MARKSVILLE, LA	N5486R	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND LOOP AND A SUBSEQUENT NOSE OVER.
Jun 19, 1989	INT'L FALLS, MN	N7310H	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AFTER ENCOUNTERING A STRONG GUST OF WIND DURING THE LANDING FLARE/TOUCHDOWN.
May 28, 1989	JACKSON, CA	N1042F	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT DID NOT ESTABLISH A CLIMB RATE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CLEAR TREES BEFORE TURNING TOWARDS THEM DURING A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT… THE PILOT DID NOT ESTABLISH A CLIMB RATE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CLEAR TREES BEFORE TURNING TOWARDS THEM DURING A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE GUSTY CROSSWINDS WHICH CHANGED TO A TAILWIND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND THE PILOTS FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR THEM BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A TREE.
Mar 24, 1989	LAKE ARTHUR, LA	N4836Q	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SEE AND AVOID TREE LIMBS THAT EXTENDED OVER THE EDGE OF THE CANAL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TREE LIMBS A… THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SEE AND AVOID TREE LIMBS THAT EXTENDED OVER THE EDGE OF THE CANAL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TREE LIMBS AND DIRT BANK NEAR THE EDGE OF THE SELECTED LANDING AREA.
Dec 07, 1988	SAN ANTONIO, TX	N7392H	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Nov 22, 1988	DEADHORSE, AK	N20752	Incident	—	Investigation pending
Nov 14, 1988	KASITSNA BAY, AK	N4759E	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Aug 17, 1988	MEDICINE BOW, WY	N2450J	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jul 11, 1988	GEORGETOWN, AK	N4742E	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Dec 02, 1987	NAPLES, FL	N60925	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 21, 1987	KARLUK, AK	N61376	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 12, 1987	GLASGOW, MT	N2525S	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Aug 23, 1987	MT AIRY, NC	N3463Y	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jul 22, 1987	CHANDLER, AZ	N252W	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending

Disclaimer: This data is sourced from the NTSB Aviation Accident Database. NTSB events reflect reported accidents and incidents and do not necessarily indicate a defect in the aircraft type. Many events involve pilot error, weather conditions, maintenance issues, or other factors unrelated to the aircraft design. This information is provided for research purposes only — consult official NTSB reports for complete details.

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Cessna A185 Safety Record

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