Cessna A185F accident near Kingsley, Iowa, September 6, 2021
On September 6, 2021 at about 8:15 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna A185F, registered N7574N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Kingsley, Iowa. 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 total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of an unsecured fuel bladder, which reduced the fuel capacity of the affected tank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2021 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Kingsley, Iowa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F, built 1981 · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N7574N · registry record · serial 18504326
- 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 before departing on a cross-country flight, he added 42 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel, which appeared to fill both inboard wing fuel tanks. He calculated a 17-gallon-per-hour fuel burn for the 2 hour and 45-minute flight. While in cruise flight, about 2.5 hours after departure, a total loss of engine power occurred. The pilot was unable to restart the engine, and he executed a forced landing to a corn field, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. Postaccident examination revealed that both left and right fuel tanks were intact. The fuel filler necks and collars were removed from both wings for internal inspection of the rubberized, bladder fuel cells. The cell from the left tank exhibited minor wrinkling, but overall was still attached to the cell’s snaps and fittings. When the right cell was examined, it was discovered to be unsecured from the outboard and aft edges with the cell folded and wrinkled inboard to the outboard fuel filler neck. The investigation was unable to determine the extent to which the loose fuel cell bladders would have affected actual fuel quantity and unusable fuel. However, given the lack of malfunctions or anomalies noted during the examination and the lack of fuel present in the gascolator, it is likely that the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
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 engine power (total) during enroute
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel storage › Malfunction
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,340 hours in all; 885 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 64 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 22, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,558 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 23, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 3,525 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO550D13B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISW Wisconsin Rapids WI
- Destination: sux Sioux City IA
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from KCKP, 17 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCKP 062015Z AUTO 18010G14KT 140V200 10SM CLR 30/21 A2984 RMK AO2 T02960206
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 1, 2023. 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 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Examination Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | 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 N7574N 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.