Cessna 305A accident near Winslow, Arizona, March 23, 2001
On March 23, 2001 at about 10:50 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5188G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winslow, Arizona (Winslow-Lindbergh Regional airport). It was an instructional 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 student's inadvertent restriction of the rudder pedal's movement during landing rollout precipitated the loss of directional control and ground loop. A finding was that remedial action by the CFI was not possible due to the student’s control interference.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2001 · about 10:50 pm local time
- Place
- Winslow, Arizona · Winslow-Lindbergh Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5188G · registry record · serial 22196
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student made a normal landing with his CFI in the conventional gear airplane that the student had recently purchased. Seconds after touchdown the airplane started turning slowly to the left. The CFI applied rudder pressure for the correction, but was unable to move the right rudder pedal more than 3 or 4 inches. The left turn continued, and the CFI shouted for the student to "get off the controls." The CFI reported that he pushed "very hard" on the right rudder in an effort to stop the turn to the left. However, the right rudder would not move farther regardless of the force applied. The turn to the left continued to accelerate. Directional control was subsequently lost, and as the airplane ground looped the right wing tip touched the ground and the right wheel separated from the strut at the axle. The investigation revealed that the student's shoe size is 14, he weighs about 250 pounds, and he is 6 feet 6 inches tall. During rollout the student's left foot had slipped off the rudder pedal. It had become jammed between the top portion of the pedal and the console, thus restricting the pedal's movement. This control interference resulted in the CFI's inability to take corrective action to preclude 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,400 hours in all; 1,184 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 4,128 as pilot in command; 1,415 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 349 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 267 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,040 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 22, 2001; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EED Needles CA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: INW Winslow AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 7,499 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from INW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N5188G 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.