Cessna 305 accident near Shirley, New York, July 3, 2016
On July 3, 2016 at about 4:45 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 305, registered N12633, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Shirley, New York (Brookhaven Airport). It was a banner-towing 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 directional control while landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to accept an advised runway rather than determine actual airport winds, which resulted in the airplane landing with a quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 3, 2016 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Shirley, New York · Brookhaven Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305 A, built 1966 · all 305s on the register
- Registration
- N12633 · registry record · serial 2015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot of the tailwheel- equipped airplane, the airport UNICOM operator advised the active runway as 33, and he did not listen to the automated weather broadcast. The pilot performed a two-point (main wheel) landing to the asphalt runway, and the airplane initially tracked straight, slightly right of centerline. As it decelerated, the tailwheel touched down, and the airplane began to turn left. The pilot applied right rudder with no effect. He then applied the right brake, but the airplane kept turning to the left. It then slid sideways, and the right main landing gear folded, damaging the outboard section of the right wing as it contacted the runway. When the pilot disembarked, he noted that he had landed with a quartering tailwind. Wind, recorded at the airport about the time of the accident, was from 190° at 7 knots, and runway 24 was available. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. In retrospect, he noted that he landed on an advised runway instead of determining actual winds to land on the most appropriate runway.
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 Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,685 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 109 in the last 90 days; 53 in the last 30 days; 1,613 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 7, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,921 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,101 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470 SERIES (piston); 4,687 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWV Shirley NY
- Destination: HWV Shirley NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 4,222 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from HVW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2017. 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, 11 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 N12633 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.