Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, resulting in a runway undershoot, and substantial damage to the airplane.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Current)
Analysis
The pilot elected to land with a tailwind, on a turf runway that was adjacent and perpendicular to a riverbank. With the Cessna 185 configured for landing, and just prior to touchdown, the airplane experienced an increase in descent rate due to "either an increase in the tailwind or a downdraft." The airplane struck the face of the runway below the landing surface, collapsing the right main landing gear, and resulting in substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical deficiencies of the airplane, and when asked how the accident could have been prevented stated, "carried more airspeed to counter the effect of [the] possible increased tailwind."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# NYC06CA140