Cessna A185 accident near Tacoma, Washington, October 24, 2017
On October 24, 2017 at about 10:10 pm local time, a 1967 Cessna A185, registered N19EC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Tacoma, Washington (Tacoma Narrows 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 loss of directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2017 · about 10:10 pm local time
- Place
- Tacoma, Washington · Tacoma Narrows · 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 1967 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N19EC · registry record · serial 185-1306
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped, high-performance airplane, he performed a three-point landing about 70 mph. During the landing roll, the airplane veered to the right. The pilot reported that he applied left rudder and left aileron to keep the airplane on the runway. However, the airplane exited the right side of the runway and then ground looped to the right, and the left wing and left elevator struck the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar, ribs, aileron, and the left elevator. The METAR at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 010° at 7 knots. The pilot reported that the valve stem from the left main landing gear tire failed, causing the loss of control.
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)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
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 › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,434 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 8, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,356.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 4, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental IO-520-D (piston); 3,357 hours total
- Operator: Blue Skies Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: TIW Tacoma WA at 9:20 pm
- Destination: TIW Tacoma WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 5,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.37 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KTIW
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.
Other NTSB records under N19EC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 GAA18CA023.