Cessna A185 accident near Gooding, Idaho, August 30, 2016
On August 30, 2016 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 1969 Cessna A185, registered N185TJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Gooding, Idaho (Gooding Muni 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2016 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gooding, Idaho · Gooding Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 E, built 1969 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N185TJ · registry record · serial 185-1532
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing roll in variable gusting wind conditions, the tailwheel equipped airplane started an uncontrolled left turn, and he applied throttle to regain directional control with no effect. The pilot further reported that the airplane exited the runway to the left, became airborne and rolled left, and the left wing impacted the ground. The airplane came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Other weather encounter during landing
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Rough terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 735 hours in all; 375 in this make and model; 735 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,566.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 2015
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-D1B (piston); 1,073 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GNG Gooding ID at 1:35 pm
- Destination: GNG Gooding ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 4,745 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KJER, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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 GAA16CA459.