Cessna 185F accident near Bridgeport, Nebraska, February 21, 1993
On February 21, 1993 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185F, registered N252W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridgeport, Nebraska (Lindberg Ranch 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 FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER RUNWAY ALIGNMENT 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
- February 21, 1993 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bridgeport, Nebraska · Lindberg Ranch · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N252W · registry record · serial 18503687
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE RANCH AIRSTRIP HAD BEEN 'BLADED' FOR SNOW REMOVAL. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE LANDING ROLL THE LEFT MAIN GEAR CONTACTED A SNOWBANK ALONG THE EDGE OF THE CLEAR AREA. THE AIRPLANE VEERED TO THE LEFT WHERE IT CONTACTED DEEPER SNOW AND NOSED OVER.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,809 hours in all; 180 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 7,386 as pilot in command; 140 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 22, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 3,380 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Broadwater NE at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 2,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 7°F (-14°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from AIA, 32 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N252W 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.