Cessna A185 accident near Hayden Lake, Idaho, June 26, 2016
On June 26, 2016 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1978 Cessna A185, registered N185TG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Hayden Lake, Idaho. 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 retract the amphibious airplane's land-wheels prior to landing on a lake, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 26, 2016 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Hayden Lake, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 F, built 1978 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N185TG · no longer on the register · serial 18503713
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of an amphibious float-equipped airplane reported that he departed from an airport with a paved runway en-route to his destination airport, about 21 nautical miles away, also with a paved runway. While en-route he decided to do a touch and go on a lake about 5 nautical miles from the destination airport. The pilot further reported that during the landing touch down, the airplane immediately nosed over. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the position of the landing gear with the landing gear mirrors before the landing and the landing gear were down for the water landing. The firewall sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that he was unsure if there were any mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Landing gear not configured during landing defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Gear extension and retract sys › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 3,600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 8, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,393 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 1,120 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SFF Spokane WA at 7:30 pm
- Destination: KCOE Coeur D'Alene ID
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from KCOE, 5 miles away
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 August 18, 2016. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (FAA Inspector) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation (Pilot in Command) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
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.