Cessna A185F accident near Rifle, Colorado, February 20, 1985
On February 20, 1985, a Cessna A185F, registered N1169Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rifle, Colorado (Garfield County). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1985
- Place
- Rifle, Colorado · Garfield County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1169Q · registry record · serial 18503466
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT HAD BEEN PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS WITH WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS A SLIGHT 90 DEG X-WIND. DURING THE FINAL LANDING, THE PLT REPORTED, THE RIGHT WING ROSE AND THE LEFT WING DROPPED CONTACTING THE GROUND. HE WAS ABLE TO LEVEL THE ACFT AND INITIATE AN ABORTED LANDING, HOWEVER, THE ACFT CONTACTED A SNOW BANK ALONG THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY AND THE ACFT 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 412 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 322 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 474 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 1984; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RIL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:19 am from RIL
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN85LA081.