DRIGGS, ID, USA
N93981
Cessna 185F
The pilot landed in calm wind conditions, and the initial part of the landing roll was uneventful. But as the aircraft began to decelerate, it started to drift toward the side of the runway. As the pilot began to apply corrective actions, the soles of his boots caught on either the rudder pedals or each other. He was therefore temporarily unable to make corrective rudder inputs, and by the time he was able to free his feet, the aircraft had entered a ground loop from which he was unable to recover. As the aircraft continued its ground loop, it departed the side of the runway, encountered soft terrain and nosed over.
On October 17, 2000, approximately 1545 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 185F, N93981, nosed over during the landing roll at Driggs Municipal Airport, Driggs, Idaho. The airline transport pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft, which was owned and operated by Teton Holding Company, LLC, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 business flight, which departed Rexburg, Idaho, about 15 minutes prior to the accident, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan had been filed. There was no report of an ELT activation. According to the pilot, who was landing in calm wind condition, the touchdown and beginning of the landing roll were uneventful. But as the aircraft began to slow, it started to drift to the right and he attempted to apply corrective rudder inputs. During his attempt to realign the aircraft with the runway, the soles of the hiking boots he was wearing got caught on either the edge of the rudder pedals or on each other. He was therefore momentarily unable to apply the appropriate corrective inputs, and by the time he was able to freely move his feet, the aircraft had entered a ground loop from which he was unable to recover. During the ground loop, the aircraft departed the runway, encountered soft terrain and nosed over.
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control. Factors include soft terrain adjacent to the runway.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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