How many accidents has the Cessna A185 had?

The NTSB has recorded 452 events involving the Cessna A185: 58 fatal, 20 serious, 48 minor injuries, and 325 incidents with no injuries.

Is the Cessna A185 a safe aircraft?

Safety depends on many factors beyond the aircraft model, including pilot training, maintenance, and weather conditions. The Cessna A185 has 452 NTSB-recorded events. Always review individual reports for context — many events involve pilot error or weather, not aircraft defects.

Cessna A185 Safety Record

Complete NTSB accident and incident history. 452 events recorded from 1982 to 2026.

452

All Events

325

Incidents

Minor

Serious

Fatal (100 fatalities)

Date	Location	Reg#	Severity	Damage	Probable Cause
Sep 08, 1989	BIG BEAR CITY, CA	N252W	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE UNFAVORABLE WIND CONDITIONS.
Aug 25, 1989	DEER ISLE, ME	N4840C	Serious (1)	destroyed	THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT IN DETERMINING THE ADEQUACY OF THE TAKEOFF ENVIRONMENT UNDER THE EXISTING ADVERSE WIND CONDITIONS.
Aug 14, 1989	MYRTLE GROVE, FL	N95KW	Serious (3)	destroyed	THE PILOT IN COMMAND INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRCRAFT DURING A BALKED LANDING.
Jun 24, 1989	MARKSVILLE, LA	N5486R	Incident	substantial	FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND LOOP AND A SUBSEQUENT NOSE OVER.
Jun 19, 1989	INT'L FALLS, MN	N7310H	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL AFTER ENCOUNTERING A STRONG GUST OF WIND DURING THE LANDING FLARE/TOUCHDOWN.
Jun 15, 1989	ELY, MN	N70466	Fatal (1)	substantial	LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PRESENCE OF TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
May 28, 1989	JACKSON, CA	N1042F	Incident	substantial	THE PILOT DID NOT ESTABLISH A CLIMB RATE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CLEAR TREES BEFORE TURNING TOWARDS THEM DURING A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT… THE PILOT DID NOT ESTABLISH A CLIMB RATE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CLEAR TREES BEFORE TURNING TOWARDS THEM DURING A GO-AROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE GUSTY CROSSWINDS WHICH CHANGED TO A TAILWIND WHEN THE AIRCRAFT TURNED TO THE RIGHT AND THE PILOTS FAILURE TO COMPENSATE FOR THEM BEFORE COLLIDING WITH A TREE.
May 04, 1989	CHARLOTTE, NC	CGCMT	Minor	destroyed	COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS DUE TO THE PILOT NOT ASSURING AN ADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY FOR THE FLIGHT BY … COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS DUE TO THE PILOT NOT ASSURING AN ADEQUATE FUEL SUPPLY FOR THE FLIGHT BY VISUAL INSPECTION DURING HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. CONTRIBUTING WAS THE PILOT'S DECISION TO CONTINUE FLIGHT WITH A KNOWN INACCURACY IN THE FUEL QUANTITY INDICATING SYSTEM.
Mar 24, 1989	LAKE ARTHUR, LA	N4836Q	Incident	substantial	THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SEE AND AVOID TREE LIMBS THAT EXTENDED OVER THE EDGE OF THE CANAL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TREE LIMBS A… THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO SEE AND AVOID TREE LIMBS THAT EXTENDED OVER THE EDGE OF THE CANAL. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE TREE LIMBS AND DIRT BANK NEAR THE EDGE OF THE SELECTED LANDING AREA.
Dec 07, 1988	SAN ANTONIO, TX	N7392H	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Nov 22, 1988	DEADHORSE, AK	N20752	Incident	—	Investigation pending
Nov 14, 1988	KASITSNA BAY, AK	N4759E	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 23, 1988	TRUMBAUERSVILLE, PA	N185SH	Minor	substantial	AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES AND A SWING SET, FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO DETERMINE THAT… AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING IN WHICH THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREES AND A SWING SET, FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS CAUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO DETERMINE THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE OFF POSITION AND TO TURN IT ON PRIOR TO THE POWER LOSS.
Aug 17, 1988	MEDICINE BOW, WY	N2450J	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jul 11, 1988	GEORGETOWN, AK	N4742E	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Mar 03, 1988	MCGRATH, AK	N1954U	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Dec 02, 1987	NAPLES, FL	N60925	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 21, 1987	KARLUK, AK	N61376	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Oct 12, 1987	GLASGOW, MT	N2525S	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Aug 23, 1987	MT AIRY, NC	N3463Y	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jul 22, 1987	CHANDLER, AZ	N252W	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Jun 13, 1987	NORWOOD, CO	N5836J	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Apr 10, 1987	GILLETTE, WY	N6670N	Minor	substantial	Investigation pending
Apr 02, 1987	TOPEKA, KS	N1467F	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending
Feb 26, 1987	MELBOURNE, FL	N2287T	Incident	substantial	Investigation pending

Disclaimer: This data is sourced from the NTSB Aviation Accident Database. NTSB events reflect reported accidents and incidents and do not necessarily indicate a defect in the aircraft type. Many events involve pilot error, weather conditions, maintenance issues, or other factors unrelated to the aircraft design. This information is provided for research purposes only — consult official NTSB reports for complete details.

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Cessna A185 Safety Record

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