Cessna A185 accident near Big Rapids, Michigan, May 7, 2017
On May 7, 2017 at about 2:10 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna A185, registered N873SL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Big Rapids, Michigan (Roben-Hood 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 failure to obtain updated weather information while practicing takeoffs and landings and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 7, 2017 · about 2:10 pm local time
- Place
- Big Rapids, Michigan · Roben-Hood · 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 1977 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N873SL · no longer on the register · serial 18503380
- 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 was practicing takeoffs and landings and had accomplished a wheel landing on runway 27. During the landing roll, the tailwheel contacted the ground, and the airplane encountered a wind gust from the right. The pilot recalled that the right aileron was into the wind with left rudder and no power applied. The right wing rose, and the airplane began to weathervane. He added full engine power and full left rudder. The "right main" descended back to the ground, but the airplane exited the runway to the right. The airplane encountered a berm and became airborne. The airplane descended to the ground and spun about its nose to the left. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing spar and the left main landing gear attachment points. The pilot reported that, when he checked the weather before he began practicing takeoffs and landings, the wind was from 320° at 10 knots but, about the time of the accident, the METAR reported that wind was from 350° at 15 knots gusting to 22 knots. The crosswind component was 18 knots. Per the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot remarked that the accident could have been prevented by setting "personal limitations" and by checking the Automatic Terminal Information System "every two pattern practices." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
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
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of available resources › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 186 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 94 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 21, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,675 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 3,896 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8D4 Sparta MI at 12:30 pm
- Destination: 8D4 Sparta MI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 2:14 pm from KRQB
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 | Photos (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 3 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.