Cessna 185 accident near Waterville, Maine, October 22, 2002
On October 22, 2002 at about 4:52 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N7321H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waterville, Maine (Waterville Lafleur 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 excessive braking during the landing roll, which resulted in a nose over. A factor was the quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 22, 2002 · about 4:52 pm local time
- Place
- Waterville, Maine · Waterville Lafleur Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N7321H · no longer on the register · serial 18503361
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after landing, a gust of wind caught the tail of the airplane from the left. The pilot applied the brakes, and the airplane nosed over. The pilot also reported that he was operating in the traffic pattern with other airplanes, based on ASOS information of winds about 70 degrees from the left, at 7 to 10 miles per hour. Winds recorded 3 minutes after the accident were 130 degrees from the left, at 6, gusting to 15 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,625 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,365 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,078 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 7, 2002; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D-24 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: WVL Waterville ME at 4:15 pm
- Destination: WVL Waterville ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from WVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N7321H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.