Cessna A185F accident near Hays, Kansas, September 6, 2011
On September 6, 2011 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N550DP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Hays, Kansas (Hays Regional Airport). 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 improper recovery from a bounced landing, which resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2011 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hays, Kansas · Hays Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N550DP · no longer on the register · serial 18503747
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after an uneventful local flight, he made a normal landing approach. Upon touchdown on the right main landing gear, the airplane bounced and ground looped to the left. The airplane nosed over and came to rest inverted, resulting in substantial damage to both wings and the tail section. The pilot reported that he should not have delayed performance of a more effective recovery from the bounced landing.
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
What happened, in order
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,269 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,221 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 5, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 19, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO-550-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 58P INC
The flight
- Departed from: AIA Alliance NE at 8:00 pm
- Destination: HYS Hays KS
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 16
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.