Cessna A185F accident near Carson City, Nevada, December 22, 2013
On December 22, 2013 at about 7:45 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna A185F, registered N185CY, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Carson City, Nevada (Carson 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 landing which resulted in the airplane veering off the runway and nosing over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 2013 · about 7:45 pm local time · cases in 2013
- Place
- Carson City, Nevada · Carson Airport · 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 A185F F, built 1975 · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N185CY · registry record · serial 18502839
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after an approximate one-hour flight, he returned back to the departure airport, which is where the airplane was based. He configured the airplane for a three-point landing and touched down about 300 feet after the runway threshold. Upon touchdown, the airplane immediately began to veer to the right. The airplane continued off the runway surface and nosed over, coming to rest inverted. During the accident sequence, the vertical stabilizer and rudder were substantially damaged. The pilot reported no pre impact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: CXP Carson City NV
- Destination: CXP Carson City NV
- Runway 27, 6,101 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.34 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on May 6, 2014. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Conversation – Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N185CY 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
- N185CY on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna A185 Skywagon 1,373 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Carson City Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Nevada 1,294 since 1982 · 223 in the last ten years
- Nevada 4,582 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N185CY 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/WPR14CA073.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.