Cessna A185E accident near Seattle, Washington, October 12, 2024
On October 12, 2024 at about 10:18 pm local time, a 1970 Cessna A185E, registered N185WK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Seattle, Washington (Boeing Field/King County Inter). 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 landing roll with a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 2024 · about 10:18 pm local time · cases in 2024
- Place
- Seattle, Washington · Boeing Field/King County Inter · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185E, built 1970 · all A185Es on the register
- Registration
- N185WK · registry record · serial 185-01832
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilots of the tailwheel-equipped airplane, the pilot/owner offered to let the second pilot land the airplane. During the landing, the airplane landed hard, bounced, and began to yaw to the right. Both pilots then applied control inputs to regain control of the airplane, however the airplane ground looped to the right. Subsequently, the airplane’s left main landing gear collapsed, and the left wing impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. At the time of the accident, the pilots were landing on runway 14L with wind from 240° at 5 knots. The pilots reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 842 hours in all; 0 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 752 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 13, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 677.8 hours in all; 82.3 in the last 90 days; 35.9 in the last 30 days; 595.5 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 7, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,525 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Intrepid Air LLC
The flight
- Departed from: CYXX Abbotsford OF at 9:28 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14L, 3,709 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KBFI
Weather report (METAR): KBFI 122153Z 24005KT 10SM CLR 19/08 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP184 T01890083
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of the airplane from the left.
Photograph 2 – View of the airplane from the right.
Photograph 3 – View of substantial damage to the left wing.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2025. 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 (Pilot/owner) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (Second Pilot) | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N185WK on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Cessna A185 Skywagon 1,372 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,684 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D 95 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Boeing Fld/King County International · nearest airport
- Abbotsford Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Washington 2,713 since 1982 · 362 in the last ten years
- Washington 10,568 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR25LA014.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.