Cessna A185 accident near Rochester, Indiana, July 15, 2020
On July 15, 2020 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 1968 Cessna A185, registered N2231T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Rochester, Indiana (Fulton 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 failure to maintain directional control during landing resulting in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2020 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Rochester, Indiana · Fulton County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 E, built 1968 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N2231T · registry record · serial 185-1383
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, with a passenger onboard, stated they were landing on runway 11 and had completed a "3-point landing." On rollout, the airplane began to veer to the right. The pilot applied full left rudder and full left brake, but he was unable to stop the right turn. The airplane ground looped and came to rest in the grass on the right side of the runway. The airplane's left wing was substantially damaged when it struck the ground. The pilot indicated that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions during the flight.
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
- 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,112 hours in all; 1,144 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 2,017 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 6, 2019
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,539 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 13, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO520D (piston); 484 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N27 Towanda PA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: RCR Rochester IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photograph of the Accident Airplane | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N2231T 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.