Cessna A185E accident near Myrtle Grove, Florida, August 14, 1989
On August 14, 1989 at about 6:29 pm local time, a Cessna A185E, registered N95KW, was destroyed in an accident near Myrtle Grove, Florida (Coastal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRCRAFT DURING A BALKED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1989 · about 6:29 pm local time
- Place
- Myrtle Grove, Florida · Coastal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N95KW · registry record · serial 185-1094
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A NORMAL APPROACH WAS MADE TO RUNWAY 36. THE FLAPS WERE FULLY EXTENDED & FULL NOSE UP TRIM WAS APPLIED PER THE OWNER'S HANDBOOK. THE WIND WAS FROM THE EAST AT 3-8 KTS. THICK SCRUB TREES BORDERED THE EAST SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. A THREE POINT LANDING WAS PLANNED & TOUCHDOWN OCCURRED ON THE TAIL & RIGHT MAIN WHEEL. THE RIGHT WING CAME UP AS THE LEFT WHEEL TOUCHED & THE PILOT INITIATED A BALKED LANDING. HE & HIS WIFE, ALSO A PRIVATE PILOT, SAID THE NOSE PITCHED UP ABRUPTLY, & A DEPARTURE STALL TO THE RIGHT WAS ENCOUNTERED. BOTH BELIEVED THAT THE PILOT'S SEAT SLID REARWARD. POST IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE SEAT RAILS. EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED THAT THE FRONT SEATS APPEARED TO BE IN THE SAME RELATIVE POSITION.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 149 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 109 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,464 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 20, 1988; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 83J at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,510 ft by 230 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:48 pm from PNS, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL89FA197.