Cessna A185F accident near Plymouth, Connecticut, July 5, 2022
On July 5, 2022 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N2423A, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Plymouth, Connecticut (Waterbury airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s encounter with known and forecast adverse weather which resulted in a collision with trees during the initial climb.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2022 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Plymouth, Connecticut · Waterbury · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2423A · registry record · serial 18504225
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot described the takeoff from the 2,000 ft-long turf runway surrounded by tall trees. He stated the airplane was making “takeoff power” and that all instruments were “in the green.” At the departure end of the runway the airplane encountered “windshear or a downdraft” and that the leaves in the treetops were being “pushed down.” The 6,000-hour pilot said he had never encountered windshear or a downdraft like it before. He said he adjusted the pitch attitude to best angle of climb, but that the airplane settled into the trees and descended to the ground while substantially damaging the wings, fuselage, and the empennage. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector who responded to the accident site discussed the forecast and PIREPS for low-level windshear with the pilot. The pilot said he had reviewed the weather, but as it was “nothing he hadn’t flown in before,” he elected to depart. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures of 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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during initial climb defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 7,400 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 7,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,191 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 24, 2021; 14 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO520D (piston); 6,043 hours total
The flight
- Destination: KWST Westerly RI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 2,005 ft by 135 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from KOXC, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KOXC 051651Z 20008G15KT 10SM CLR 27/15 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP177 T02670150
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 24, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Meteorology Memorandum for Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | 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 N2423A 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.