Cessna A185F accident near Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, June 23, 2024
On June 23, 2024 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1974 Cessna A185F, registered N74CF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (Sherman Field). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control after landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2024 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Leavenworth, Kansas · Sherman Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F, built 1974 · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N74CF · registry record · serial 18502557
- 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 after he landed, the airplane bounced once, contacted the runway again, and then immediately veered to the right. The pilot attempted to correct by adding full left rudder and left brake; however, the airplane did not respond to the control inputs and continued to slide to the right. The left wing struck the runway, and the left wheel contacted a berm adjacent to the runway. The left wheel separated from the landing gear, and the airplane flipped over onto its back and came to rest inverted in the grass next to the runway. The vertical stabilizer and rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Roll over during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 1,620 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,889 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2024; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO550D1B (piston); 1,590 hours total
- Operator: Wincar Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KHSI Hastings NE at 1:45 pm
- Destination: KFLV Leavenworth KS
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 5,318 ft by 102 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KMCI, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMCI 231453Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 26/13 A2997
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN24LA238.