N1613M

On October 24, 1995, at 1440 central daylight time (cdt), a Cessna A185E, N1613M, operated and owned by an instrument rated commercial pilot, was substantially damaged during landing at Liberal Municipal Airport, Liberal, Kansas. While landing, the left main landing gear wheel broke off. The pilot reported minor injuries. A VFR flight plan was on file. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight had departed Platte Municipal Airport, Platte, South Dakota, at 1113 cdt.

From the pilot's written statement, the pilot said he had landed on runway 17 and was taxiing to a taxiway turn off when the airplane veered to the right from a gust of wind. The pilot stated, " ...he applied full left rudder and applied power to correct but the airplane skidded to the right and tipped up on the nose and right wing tip... ." Five minutes before the accident, Liberal automatic weather observation station (AWOS) reported winds from 190 degrees at 23 knots with gusts to 28 knots.

A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Principal Maintenance Inspector (PMI) represented the NTSB during the on-scene investigation. The PMI said, there were 120 feet long rubber skid mark followed shortly after by a metal skid mark about 30 to 40 feet long on the runway. The left tire showed abrasive scratches on the outside of the tire and the axle was sheared off at the four bolts that attach it to the landing gear. The bottom of the left wing tip showed evidence of scrapping.