Cessna A185 accident near Stanley, Idaho, July 2, 2019
On July 2, 2019 at about 4:23 pm local time, a 1981 Cessna A185, registered N612TW, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Stanley, Idaho (Stanley airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control and his overapplication of brakes during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent nose-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 2, 2019 · about 4:23 pm local time
- Place
- Stanley, Idaho · Stanley · 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 1981 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N612TW · no longer on the register · serial 18504244
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the takeoff roll, the airplane abruptly veered right, and he overcorrected to the left. The pilot then reduced the engine power to idle and overcorrected to the right. He attempted to correct by applying full brakes, but the airplane exited the runway to the left and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer, rudder, and the right and left wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,000 hours in all; 1,752 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 17,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 13, 2018
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,265 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2019
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 D39B (piston); 794 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2U7 Stanley ID at 4:23 pm
- Destination: 3U2 Yellow Pine ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,300 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 3 knots
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 pm from KSNT, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on September 6, 2019. 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 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | 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.