Cessna A185F accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina, April 16, 2001
On April 16, 2001 at about 4:09 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N252W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fayetteville, North Carolina (Fayetteville Regional 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 pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane after encounter wind gusts during landing roll resulting in the airplane ground looping to the left and the right wing, right horizontal stabilizer, and right elevator contacting the runway and receiving substantial damage.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 16, 2001 · about 4:09 pm local time · cases in 2001
- Place
- Fayetteville, North Carolina · Fayetteville Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N252W · registry record · serial 18503687
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during landing rollout, a gust of wind caused the airplane to turn to the left. Attempts to correct the left turn were unsuccessful and the airplane ground looped to the left 90 degrees and came to rest on the runway. The right wing, horizontal stabilizer, and elevator contacted the runway and received damage.
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
- Flight time: 15,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 6,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Crew member
- Last flight review: February 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,888 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2001; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Cont IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAY Fayetteville NC at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 7,204 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from FAY, 1 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N252W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N252W on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna A185 Skywagon 1,373 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,678 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Teledyne Cont IO-520-D · as the NTSB recorded it
- Fayetteville Rgnl/Grannis Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,762 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,130 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N252W 3 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/MIA01LA123.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.