Cessna 185 accident near Hilton Head, South Carolina, March 30, 1999
On March 30, 1999 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N185MN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hilton Head, South Carolina (Hilton Head airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate evaluation of weather information that resulted in his failure to maintain directional control during landing. Factors were gusting winds, and a tail wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1999 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hilton Head, South Carolina · Hilton Head · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N185MN · registry record · serial 185-03803
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, the airplane touched down in the center of the runway on the main landing gear. As the tail wheel started down the pilot experienced wind gusts which raised the right wing and instantly rotated the airplane 35 degrees to the right. The airplane veered off the right side of the runway and collided with a concrete culvert. The airplane came to a stop and there was substantial damage done to the left wing and left main landing gear. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot. A review of existing weather data disclosed that surface winds were approximately 180 degrees at 14 knots with gusts to 24 knots
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: airline transport pilot, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,225 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1998; 211 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Cary NC at 3:00 pm
- Destination: HDX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 14 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from SAV, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 ATL99LA063.