Cessna A185F accident near Bellevue, Washington, May 27, 1993
On May 27, 1993 at about 1:30 am local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N2215T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bellevue, Washington. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SHOCK STRUT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1993 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Bellevue, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N2215T · registry record · serial 185-1367
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
PRIOR TO LANDING THE AMPHIBIAN AIRPLANE ON THE LAKE, THE PILOT CONFIRMED BY THE COCKPIT GEAR LIGHTS AND BY VISUAL INDICATIONS ON THE TOP OF THE FLOATS, THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE UP-AND-LOCKED POSITION. AFTER THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, IT VEERED TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT RUDDER; HOWEVER, THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE WATER SURFACE AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED, WHILE THE LEFT MAIN AND THE NOSE GEAR WERE RETRACTED. A METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR STRUT REVEALED THAT THE SCREWS THAT ATTACH THE CASING TO THE PISTON BROKE DUE TO OVERSTRESS UNDER DIRECT SHEAR LOADS.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 15,500 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 11,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,656 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 14, 1992; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Stuart Island WA at 1:00 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
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 SEA93LA124.