Cessna 185C accident near Phoenix, Arizona, October 10, 2025
On October 10, 2025 at about 7:37 pm local time, a 1964 Cessna 185C, registered N5806T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix Deer Valley 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 the landing roll with a left crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 10, 2025 · about 7:37 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix Deer Valley Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185C, built 1964 · all 185Cs on the register
- Registration
- N5806T · registry record · serial 185-0706
- 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, while practicing touch-and-go landings, the airplane veered left during the landing roll. The pilot attempted to correct with right rudder and left aileron input; however, the airplane ground looped to the left and nosed over, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunction or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. At the time of the accident, the pilot was landing the airplane on runway 7L with wind from 360° at 13 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)
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery 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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 23,910 hours in all; 123 in this make and model; 3.5 in the last 90 days; 0.1 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 9, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 20, 2024; 29.1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470 (piston); 2,130 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7L, 4,500 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KDVT, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KDVT 101953Z 36013KT 10SM SCT110 30/19 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP105 T03000189=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 4, 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 3 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 WPR26LA017.