Cessna A185 accident near Mccall, Idaho, August 20, 2018
On August 20, 2018 at about 4:15 pm local time, a 1977 Cessna A185, registered N93039, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Mccall, Idaho (Mccall Municipal Airport). It was an air-drop flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The disconnection of the brake cylinder actuator rod, which resulted in the pilot’s inability to maintain 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
- August 20, 2018 · about 4:15 pm local time
- Place
- Mccall, Idaho · Mccall Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 F, built 1977 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N93039 · registry record · serial 18503169
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air-drop flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, during a wheel-landing, the airplane yawed left, and he applied right rudder to counter the yaw. The tail descended to the runway, and the left yaw increased. He countered the left yaw with a right brake and rudder application. He recalled that the right brake application was "completely ineffective" and that the airplane exited the left side of the runway. The airplane entered the rough gravel surface on the left side of the runway, and the pilot applied left rudder and left brake to intentionally ground loop the airplane. The right wing struck the ground, and the airplane came to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and aileron. Postaccident examination of the airplane's brake system by Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspectors revealed that the cotter pin and clevis that connects the right brake cylinder connecting rod to the inner right brake pedal connection point was detached, and it was not recovered.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery 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 systems › Landing gear system › Landing gear brakes system › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 15, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,241.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 24, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550D (piston); 992 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KMYL Mccall ID at 1:00 pm
- Destination: KMYL Mccall ID
- Runway 34, 6,108 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 11 knots, gusting 5
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 4:10 pm from MYL, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 GAA18CA501.