Cessna A185 accident near Port Townsend, Washington, July 13, 2020
On July 13, 2020 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna A185, registered N185KL, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Port Townsend, Washington (Jefferson County Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 a crosswind landing, which resulted in a nose over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2020 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Port Townsend, Washington · Jefferson County Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185 F, built 1975 · all A185s on the register
- Registration
- N185KL · no longer on the register · serial 18502798
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll with a crosswind, he utilized full right aileron input to maintain directional control. The airplane encountered a gust of wind from the right that lifted the right wing, and the left wing dropped and impacted the runway surface. The airplane then began to veer to the right. While the pilot was attempting to correct, the airplane nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, right lift strut, vertical stabilizer and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,207 hours in all; 345 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 1,134 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,460 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-550-D-20B (piston); 1,320 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AWO Arlington WA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 0S9 Port Townsend WA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 7:55 pm from K0S9, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Damage Photos | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.