Cessna A185F accident near Page, Arizona, June 30, 2011
On June 30, 2011 at about 2:45 pm local time, a Cessna A185F, registered N80293, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Page, Arizona (Page Airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to take off with a gusty quartering tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2011 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Page, Arizona · Page Airport · 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
- N80293 · registry record · serial 18503112
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was attempting a takeoff with a left quartering tailwind of 12 knots, gusting to 21 knots. The pilot said that as the airplane neared liftoff it began turning into the wind. The pilot applied full right rudder to maintain directional control but the rudder alone was not enough. He reported that he touched the right brake to assist in reacquiring directional control and at that moment the right main wheel separated and the airplane veered off the runway and came to rest on its nose and left wing. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the left wing and horizontal stabilizer. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane and the runway. He reported observing skid marks consistent with the wind picking up the left wing and the airplane veering off the runway.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Decision related to condition
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 2,600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,778 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor IO 520 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPGA Page AZ at 3:00 pm
- Destination: KPGA Page AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 5,950 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 208° at 12 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KPGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.