Cessna 185 accident near Borrego Springs, California, May 18, 2000
On May 18, 2000 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N9955X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Borrego Springs, California (Borrego Valley 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 inadequate compensation for the crosswind condition and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 18, 2000 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Borrego Springs, California · Borrego Valley · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N9955X · registry record · serial 185-0155
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the airport manager, the wind was reported to be from the southwest at 8 to 10 knots, with higher gusts. The pilot stated that on the landing rollout he encountered a gusting, quartering tailwind, which lifted the left wing and caused the airplane to veer to the right side of the runway. The airplane then ground looped into the soft sand beside the runway. The pilot said there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,038 hours in all; 867 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 873 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,311 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 22, 1999; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RNM Ramona CA at 8:15 pm
- Destination: L08
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from PSP, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.