Cessna A185F accident near Gila Bend, Arizona, February 1, 2022
On February 1, 2022 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna A185F, registered N185DG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Gila Bend, Arizona (Gila Bend Municipal Airport). It was a positioning 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 the landing roll
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 1, 2022 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Gila Bend, Arizona · Gila Bend Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F NO SERIES, built 1979 · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N185DG · registry record · serial 18503802
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The passenger in the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that, while the pilot was practicing a touch-and-go landing, the airplane touched down, and immediately veered right. The passenger believed that the pilot “froze” on the controls, so the passenger attempted to “intervene,” but the airplane continued to veer right. The airplane exited the runway and collided with terrain. The lower fuselage was substantially damaged. The director of maintenance 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 defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,383 hours in all; 25 in this make and model; 52.1 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,593 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 22, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,534 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 174 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,450 as pilot in command; 850 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,153 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 24, 2021; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,362 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Western Pilot Service INC
The flight
- Departed from: KAVQ Marana AZ at 7:30 pm
- Destination: E63 Gila Bend AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 5,200 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 65°F (18°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 2976.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from KGYR, 32 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SA 01/02/2022 22:47-> METAR KGYR 012247Z VRB03KT 10SM BKN160 BKN200 19/M06 A2975= SA 01/02/2022 21:47-> METAR KGYR 012147Z VRB04KT 10SM BKN160 BKN200 20/M06 A2976=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 20, 2022. 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 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | 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 N185DG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.