N1728R

On July 21, 2001, about 1830 hours Pacific daylight time, a Cessna 185F, N1728R, nosed over after it collided with crops and veered off the runway during a precautionary landing near Visalia, California. The commercial pilot/owner was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured; however, the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal cross-country flight departed Visalia about 1815 en route to Exeter, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot stated he noticed the cylinder head temperature rising. He decided to make a precautionary landing at a friend's grass strip where he had landed before. He said the strip was about 45 feet wide. During the landing roll, the left wing tip contacted 12-foot-high corn stalks. The airplane veered to the left, departed the runway, and nosed over. The right main landing gear sheared off when it hit a berm and the empennage sustained substantial damage.