Cessna A185F accident near Casa Grande, Arizona, August 4, 1996
On August 4, 1996 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N2431Y, 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; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in an inadvertent ground loop. Factors relating to the accident were: the student pilot's inadequate training and lack of certification (endorsement).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 4, 1996 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Casa Grande, Arizona · Casa Grande Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2431Y · registry record · serial 18503566
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot lost directional control and inadvertently ground looped the airplane after practicing touch-and-go landings and takeoffs. The student received dual instruction in the airplane about 2 months before the accident, but he did not receive the appropriate endorsement to solo the accident airplane. Postaccident examination disclosed no evidence of any preexisting malfunction or failure. The student pilot reported that the surface winds were slightly breezy.
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: student
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 40 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3AZ2 at 1:20 pm
- Destination: CZG
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 5,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.