Cessna A185E accident near Nampa, Idaho, July 11, 2017
On July 11, 2017 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna A185E, registered N185LC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Nampa, Idaho (Nampa Muni 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control of the tailwheel airplane during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2017 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Nampa, Idaho · Nampa Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E E, built 1972 · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N185LC · registry record · serial 18502014
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that, during the landing roll in the tailwheel airplane, he was unable to maintain directional control after encountering a quartering tailwind gust from the right. The airplane subsequently ground looped, causing substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies with the tailwheel assembly, rudder, or control continuity to the rudder 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
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other 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
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 75 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 10, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,502 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 15, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520_D (piston); 2,034 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S82 Kooskia ID at 8:45 pm
- Destination: MAN Nampa ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 5,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from MAN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N185LC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 WPR17LA162.