Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
DEFLATION OF THE LEFT MAIN TUNDRA TIRE DUE TO VALVE STEM DAMAGE (FAILURE) WHEN THE TIRE ROTATED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE WHEEL RIM, RESULTING IN LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND A GROUND SWERVE.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On August 15, 1995, about 1030 Alaska daylight time, a tundra tire equipped Cessna 185A, N4145Y, crashed during landing at the Port Clarence Coast Guard station, about 13 miles west of Teller, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country business flight to Port Clarence when the accident occurred. The airplane, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated commercial pilot and 3 passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at the Teller airport about 1005.
The pilot reported that he was landing the airplane on runway 34. Runway 34 is 4,500 feet long and has an asphalt surface. During the landing roll, the left main tire suddenly deflated and the airplane ground looped. The left wingtip contacted the runway surface. The airplane received damage to the left wing, left aileron, and left horizontal stabilizer.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness inspector, Fairbanks Flight Standards District Office (FSDO), reported that the airplane was utilizing larger than standard wheel adapters. During the landing, the left main tire rotated independently from the wheel rim and damaged the tire tube valve stem, deflating the tire.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ANC95LA140