Cessna 185 accident near Marsing, Idaho, April 23, 2017
On April 23, 2017 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 185, registered N4017Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Marsing, Idaho (Sunrise Skypark 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, the failure of the right main landing gear wheel, and a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2017 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marsing, Idaho · Sunrise Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 F, built 1961 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N4017Y · registry record · serial 185-0217
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the tailwheel-gear-equipped airplane reported that he set up for a wheel landing to an asphalt runway. During touchdown, the airplane bounced three times, and the right landing gear wheel split into two pieces. The airplane ground looped to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The right wing tip and the elevator struck the ground, and the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right elevator.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,500 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,365 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 20, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,500 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, February 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continnental 10470 (piston); 1,250 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ID40 Melba ID at 9:30 am
- Destination: Gordon Valley ID
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway ID40, 2,260 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.80 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from KEUL, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 25, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.