Cessna A185F accident near Lakeview, Oregon, August 23, 2025
On August 23, 2025 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1975 Cessna A185F, registered N185GG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lakeview, Oregon (Lake County 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 the landing roll, in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2025 · about 8:45 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Lakeview, Oregon · Lake County 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, built 1975 · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- N185GG · registry record · serial 18502787
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that during the landing roll, the airplane experienced a wind gust from the right. The airplane veered to the right and the pilot attempted to regain directional control using rudder and aileron inputs. The airplane continued to the right, exited the runway surface and ground looped. The left wing and aileron sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing on runway 17 with wind from 260° at 6 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 159 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 87 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 85 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 30, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,204.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 7, 2025; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,525 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO550D (piston); 45 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HRI Hermiston OR at 6:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 5,318 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KLKV, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLKV 232053Z AUTO 26006G20KT 7SM CLR 33/06 A3015
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 26, 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 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 2 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.
Other NTSB records under N185GG 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
- N185GG 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 72,676 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental IO550D 36 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lake County · nearest airport
- Hermiston Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,004 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N185GG 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/WPR25LA263.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.