Cessna A185 Safety Record
Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 452 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.
| Date | Location | Reg# | Severity | Damage | Probable Cause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2020 | Richland, WA | N814BA | Incident | substantial | The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during landing, which resulted in a nose over. |
| Sep 04, 2020 | Bellaire, MI | N185DK | Incident | substantial | The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing roll. |
| Aug 30, 2020 | Lime Village, AK | N107L | Incident | substantial | The pilot’s loss of control during the landing flare, which resulted in an impact with trees. |
| Aug 15, 2020 | Sugar Land, TX | N5418E | Minor | substantial |
A total loss of engine power after takeoff for undetermined reasons, and the pilot’s subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack …A total loss of engine power after takeoff for undetermined reasons, and the pilot’s subsequent exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. |
| Aug 03, 2020 | Kalispell, MT | N185GK | Incident | substantial | The pilot's excessive speed while landing on a wet grass runway, which resulted in a runway excursion and impact with a fence. |
| Aug 01, 2020 | Susanville, CA | N60934 | Incident | substantial |
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff with a tailwind, which resulted in a subsequent collapse of the right main landing …The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff with a tailwind, which resulted in a subsequent collapse of the right main landing gear. |
| Jul 15, 2020 | Rochester, IN | N2231T | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing resulting in a ground loop. |
| Jul 14, 2020 | Palmer, AK | N360DC | Incident | substantial | The pilot's loss of control during landing, which resulted in a ground loop and left main landing gear collapse. |
| Jul 13, 2020 | Port Townsend, WA | N185KL | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing, which resulted in a nose over. |
| Jul 02, 2020 | San Diego, CA | N3086W | Incident | substantial |
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during landing with a crosswind and excessive braking action, which resulted in the airplane nosing o…The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during landing with a crosswind and excessive braking action, which resulted in the airplane nosing over. |
| May 15, 2020 | Nuiqsut, AK | N5454E | Fatal (1) | substantial | The pilot’s controlled flight into flat snow-covered terrain in weather conditions that were conducive to flat light conditions. |
| Apr 30, 2020 | ANOKA, MN | N1669M | Minor | substantial | The pilot's inadvertent extension of the landing gear and his subsequent water landing with the wheels extended. |
| Apr 12, 2020 | Eagle River, AK | N185RN | Serious (2) | substantial |
The pilot’s failure to ensure adequate fuel onboard prior to the planned flight, resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and …The pilot’s failure to ensure adequate fuel onboard prior to the planned flight, resulting in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and an aerodynamic stall during the subsequent emergency landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s reliance on an improperly programmed fuel totalizer. |
| Feb 22, 2020 | Hawley, MN | N550FK | Incident | substantial |
The pilot's improper landing flare and touchdown, which resulted in a bounced landing and loss of directional control and the airplane's subsequent im…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. |
| Sep 21, 2019 | Conroe, TX | C-GOZJ | Fatal (2) | destroyed |
A partial loss of engine power due to fuel contamination with water, and the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an attempted r…A partial loss of engine power due to fuel contamination with water, and the pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during an attempted return to the airport shortly after takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. |
| Sep 03, 2019 | San Carlos, CA | N34GE | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop. |
| Aug 22, 2019 | Rangeley Lake, ME | N1920Q | Minor | substantial |
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the floats, which led to his subsequent attempt to depart from a lake with damaged floats and led to a …The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection of the floats, which led to his subsequent attempt to depart from a lake with damaged floats and led to a loss of roll control and the right wing impacting the water. |
| Aug 04, 2019 | Upper Raft Lake, CA | C-GBUI | Fatal (1) | — | Investigation pending |
| Aug 03, 2019 | Saginaw, MI | N5806J | Minor | substantial |
Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly align the crankshaft during an engine reassembly which led to a fatigue failure of the crankshaft and the …Maintenance personnel’s failure to properly align the crankshaft during an engine reassembly which led to a fatigue failure of the crankshaft and the loss of all engine power. |
| Jul 17, 2019 | Talkeetna, AK | N121EE | Incident | substantial | A fracture of the right outboard landing gear bracket for undetermined reasons. |
| Jul 02, 2019 | Stanley, ID | N612TW | Incident | substantial |
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his overapplication of brakes during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion …The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his overapplication of brakes during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over. |
| Jun 07, 2019 | Ashland, ME | N484RF | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a tree. |
| May 21, 2019 | Whittier, AK | N5457X | Fatal (1) | substantial |
The pilot’s failure to configure the landing gear for a water landing, which resulted in a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's dis…The pilot’s failure to configure the landing gear for a water landing, which resulted in a nose-over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction due to his talking passengers. |
| May 12, 2019 | Northway, AK | N2429E | Incident | substantial | The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll, which resulted in a ground loop and subsequent nose-over. |
| May 04, 2019 | VALPARAISO, IN | N7711L | Incident | substantial |
The pilot's improper throttle application and subsequent failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll in gusting left crosswind con…The pilot's improper throttle application and subsequent failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff roll in gusting left crosswind conditions, which resulted in a ground loop. |