N3969Q – CESSNA A185F – 2016-06-29 NTSB Accident Report

On June 29, 2016, a Cessna A185F (N3969Q) was involved in an incident near King Salmon, AK. All 4 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while landing in gusty wind conditions, resulting in a noseover.

The pilot reported that upon touchdown on runway 12, the left quartering headwind switched to a direct crosswind forcing the nose of the airplane to the left. The right wing contacted the runway surface and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the empennage, vertical stabilizer, and rudder. Wind at the time of the accident was reported to be from 070 degrees at 12 knots gusting to 22 knots. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ANC16CA036. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N3969Q.