Cessna 185A accident near Polson, Montana, May 16, 2004
On May 16, 2004 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 185A, registered N1624H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Polson, Montana (Polson 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 pilot's inadequate compensation for the changing wind conditions at the time of the landing. Factors include gusty, variable, crosswinds, and a runway marker near the edge of the runway the pilot was landing on.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2004 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Polson, Montana · Polson Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185A · all 185As on the register
- Registration
- N1624H · registry record · serial 03317
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On the day of the accident, the pilot was performing a series of touch-and-go landings in variable gusty wind conditions in order to "...maintain proficiency on a gusty day." After three successful touch-and-go landings, he pilot decided to make the next landing a full-stop termination of the flight. During the subject landing, the wind shifted from a quartering headwind to a quartering tailwind, and although the touchdown was uneventful, during the landing roll the aircraft suddenly started turning toward the side of the runway. Although the pilot applied control inputs in an attempt to keep the aircraft on the runway, his inputs were not adequate to overcome the effects of the varying wind conditions, and therefore the aircraft departed the side of the runway. The pilot then added full power in order to regain control and execute a go-around. During that sequence of events, the aircraft's left wing contacted the ground and the left horizontal stabilizer impacted a runway marker. The pilot was then able to complete the go-around, whereupon he flew a normal traffic pattern and retuned for a subsequent full-stop landing. He discovered the damage to the airframe after taxiing to his hanger and shutting the aircraft down. There was no evidence of any anomaly in the flight control or wheel brake systems.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 317 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 205 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 9, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,530 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 23, 2004; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8S1 Polson MS at 3:30 pm
- Destination: 8S1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 4,195 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°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.