Cessna 185F accident near Medford, Oregon, April 8, 2005
On April 8, 2005 at about 11:44 pm local time, a Cessna 185F, registered N4948Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Medford, Oregon (Rogue Valley 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 failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. Factors include variable winds that at times were crosswinds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2005 · about 11:44 pm local time · cases in 2005
- Place
- Medford, Oregon · Rogue Valley · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185F · all 185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N4948Q · registry record · serial 03583
- 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 landing in a variable wind, made a touchdown and initial landing roll that were uneventful, but as the aircraft slowed, it encountered a crosswind that he was unable to adequately compensate for. Almost immediately after encountering the crosswind, the aircraft veered sharply toward the side of the runway, and one of the wings made contact with the ground. It was later determined that the wing structure had sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, there was nothing wrong with the flight control or rudder system. In a post-accident interview with the Investigator-In-charge, the pilot stated that the aircraft just got away from him.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 285 hours in all; 225 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: November 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 74S Anacortes WA at 9:15 pm
- Destination: KMFR Medford OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 8,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft; a few clouds at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.69 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KMFR, 1 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N4948Q 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
- N4948Q on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna 185 Skywagon 228 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-520D 95 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Rogue Valley Intl/Medford Airport · nearest airport
- Anacortes Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,008 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N4948Q 1 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/SEA05LA081.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.