Cessna 305A accident near Casa Grande, Arizona, January 14, 2004
On January 14, 2004 at about 10:26 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N305BD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Casa Grande, Arizona (Casa Grande Municipal 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 failure of a tail wheel steering component (spring), which resulted in a loss of directional control and a ground loop during the landing roll. A contributing factor was the soft terrain adjacent to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 14, 2004 · about 10:26 pm local time
- Place
- Casa Grande, Arizona · Casa Grande Municipal · 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
- N305BD · registry record · serial 22761
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot lost directional control during landing. During the landing rollout, the airplane veered off the side of the runway, entered a sandy area adjacent to the runway and ground looped. At the time, the wind was nearly calm. The pilot had planned to touch down in a three-point configuration, but the airplane was not fully stalled. Upon touchdown it bounced about 1 foot into the air, and touched down again. Neither touchdown was hard. During the landing roll the pilot applied pressure to the rudder pedals in an effort at maintaining directional control. However, despite application of engine power and rudder pressure, his efforts were unsuccessful, and directional control was lost. During the subsequent airframe examination, one of the airplane's tail wheel rudder control springs was found broken.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 28,000 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 16,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 20, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 2003; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BLH Blythe CA at 8:26 pm
- Destination: CGZ Casa Grande AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,200 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from CGZ
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.