Cessna A185E accident near Tucson, Arizona, March 9, 2005
On March 9, 2005 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185E, registered N4530F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona (Marana Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of directional control due to the failure of unknown maintenance personnel to install the tailwheel-locking collar, and the inadequate maintenance inspection of the worn tailwheel steering arm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 9, 2005 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · Marana Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N4530F · registry record · serial 185-1015
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ground looped during the landing roll. The pilot performed a wheel landing, and as the tailwheel touched down, the airplane began veering to the left. The pilot applied right rudder, followed by the application of the right brake, attempting to stop the leftward veer. The airplane continued to the left and ground looped. The right main landing gear sheared off, proceeded by ground impact of the right wing, right elevator, and right stabilizer. As the pilot exited the airplane, he noted that the winds were calm. Post accident examination of the tailwheel assembly revealed that the tailwheel-locking collar had not been installed on the tailwheel fork assembly. The purpose of the tailwheel-locking assembly is to prevent uncommanded swerve or aircraft direction change during takeoff and landing. It was not apparent that the tailwheel-locking collar had not been installed until the tailwheel was disassembled. The tailwheel locking bell crank was installed on the tailwheel bracket assembly, and is designed to engage with the tailwheel-locking collar to lock the tailwheel. In the cockpit, the tailwheel-locking control and the tailwheel-locking bell crank operated normally. However, the tailwheel could not be locked without the tailwheel-locking collar installed. The steering notch on the tailwheel steering arm assembly that enables the tailwheel to steer the airplane was worn out. The worn tailwheel steering arm assembly allowed the tailwheel to be turned about the steering axis with only light force applied by hand. The worn tailwheel steering arm assembly would allow the tailwheel to swivel without command during a swerve. Review of the airplane's logbooks did not reveal when the tailwheel assembly was last disassembled. The last check on the tail wheel was during the last annual inspection.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 17,080 hours in all; 105 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 14,080 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,888.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2004; 8.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: P19 Stellar Airpark AZ at 7:00 pm
- Destination: AVQ Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,901 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from KTUS, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.