Cessna A185F accident near Crystal Falls, Michigan, May 16, 2012
On May 16, 2012 at about 9:45 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N4742E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Crystal Falls, Michigan (Iron County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's abrupt maneuver to avoid deer that unexpectedly ran into the airplane's path during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2012 · about 9:45 pm local time
- Place
- Crystal Falls, Michigan · Iron County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N4742E · registry record · serial 18503853
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Two deer ran out of a wooded area and toward the runway from left to right in front of the airplane during the landing roll. The pilot applied left rudder in an attempt to avoid the deer, assuming they were going to continue across the runway. One of the deer continued across the runway. The other deer stopped on the runway and turned around to go back into the woods. The pilot applied right rudder in order to avoid the second deer and the airplane ground-looped. The left wing was substantially damaged when it contacted the ground during the ground loop.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Response/compensation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,309 hours in all; 225 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 21, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,157 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 2011; 48 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D29B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: IMT Iron Mountain MI at 9:25 pm
- Destination: 50D Crystal Falls MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 9:45 pm from IMT, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N4742E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.