Cessna 185F accident near Reno, Nevada, December 18, 2001
On December 18, 2001 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Cessna 185F, registered N5172R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Reno, Nevada (Reno 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
Wear on the tail wheel thrust plate spacers resulted in the compression springs binding on the thrust plates and the tail wheel sticking, so that the pilot could not maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 2001 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Reno, Nevada · Reno · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N5172R · registry record · serial 18503012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The left wing and horizontal stabilizer sustained substantial damage when they contacted the ground during the landing roll. The landing was uneventful until the pilot lowered the tail to the ground, and the airplane suddenly veered to the right. The pilot locked up the left wheel brake, but the airplane continued to the right. Just before the airplane stopped, the left wing and horizontal stabilizer contacted the ground. The pilot said that on several previous occasions the tail wheel seemed to stick initially and cause the airplane to deviate from the selected track, but would free up and track straight. Post accident examination revealed that the tail wheel rotated freely until moved to its maximum left deflection limit, and the tail wheel locked in this position. A mechanic detected wear on both sides of the thrust plate spacers (part number 3407-00). He suspected that the tail wheel springs (part number 3233-00) were binding on the thrust plates. He recommended replacement of the thrust plates whenever they showed wear on either side.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,900 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 2,700 as pilot in command; 780 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 3, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,240 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 2001; 14 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CXP Carson City NV at 9:15 pm
- Destination: RNO Reno NV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from RNO
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.