Cessna 185 accident near Emmett, Idaho, August 17, 2003
On August 17, 2003 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 185, registered N185LC, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmett, Idaho (Emmett Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to adequately compensate for a quartering tailwind during the initial part of the landing roll, and his failure to adequately decrease his brake applications to compensate for the tailwind conditions. Factors include, variable, gusting winds, and a tailwind during the landing roll..
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2003 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Emmett, Idaho · Emmett Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N185LC · registry record · serial 18502014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who was operating his tailwheel-equipped aircraft in variable gusting winds, had completed one touch-and-go landing, and was on the landing roll of his second. Soon after touchdown, the aircraft encountered a right quartering tailwind that pushed it toward the left side of the runway. As part of his attempt to maintain directional control while he brought the aircraft to a stop in the tailwind conditions, the pilot applied differential braking. During this sequence of events, the pilot failed to reduce his level of brake application to a level that would compensate for the effects of the tailwind, and therefore the aircraft nosed over on the runway surface. According to the pilot, there did not seem to be anything wrong with the aircraft's brakes or flight controls. According to the pilot, without the effects of the tailwind, the aircraft probably would not have nosed over. In the recommendation section of the pilot report that he submitted to the NTSB, the pilot wrote, "Don't try to land with quartering tailwind."
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 4,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 15, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 15, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S78 Emmett ID
- Destination: S78 Emmett ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,250 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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 N185LC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA03LA171.