Cessna 185 accident near Ely, Nevada, March 6, 2006
On March 6, 2006 at about 4:20 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N120KM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ely, Nevada (Ely Airport (Yelland Field)). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for a quartering tailwind while taxiing, which resulted in a loss of control and an on ground encounter with terrain. A factor in the accident was the quartering crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 6, 2006 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Ely, Nevada · Ely Airport (Yelland Field) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N120KM · no longer on the register · serial 18503720
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial certificated pilot was back-taxiing on Runway 12 in preparation for takeoff. There was a strong, gusty wind from the left rear quarter. The pilot reported that a strong gust of wind lifted the left wing and tail of the airplane, and the right wing struck the surface of the runway. The airplane pivoted to the right, and swerved off the right side of the runway. The airplane's main wheels struck an area of muddy soil, and the airplane nosed down. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing, right elevator, and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 4,505 hours in all; 750 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 4,437 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,900.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KELY Ely NV at 4:20 pm
- Destination: Ely NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 4,812 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.