Cessna A185F

Aircraft Manufacturer: Cessna

Model: A185F

About the Cessna A185F

Against comparable types matched on type, engine class, and seat range, the Cessna A185F records a higher accident rate than about 80% of them, where a higher percentile means a higher accident rate. The A185F records about 6.8 accidents per 1,000 aircraft-years across the type's own FAA-registration exposure. Of 141 recorded accidents for the A185F, 11 were fatal.

About 60% of all A185F airframes ever entered on the U.S. civil registry remain registered today. The A185F holds the 14th-largest active fleet in Cessna's lineup, with more than 1,000 aircraft currently registered. Those airframes account for about 1.5% of Cessna's total active registered fleet.

Aircraft Details

Aircraft Details
Manufacturer Cessna
Manufacturer Serial Number 2072821
Model A185F
Category Land
Aircraft Type Fixed wing single engine
Cruise Speed 127 MPH / 110 knots
Weight Class 1 (Up to 12,499 lbs gross take off weight)
Engine Type Reciprocating
Number of Engines 1 engine
Number of Seats 6 seats
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Asking Prices

What sellers are asking for the Cessna A185F, across current listings, grouped by model year.
As of October 18, 2026. How we calculate this.

Years Currency Typical asking range Median
1970–1974 USD ≈ $200k – $280k ≈ $220k
1975–1979 USD ≈ $290k – $340k ≈ $320k

These are asking prices, not sale prices. What any one aircraft asks or sells for can swing widely with airframe and engine condition, damage history, avionics, paint and interior, logbooks and service records, and plenty else a listing never shows.

Safety Analysis

Composition of NTSB accident records for this model in general-aviation operations (FAR Part 91 and 137), based on NTSB data as of May 1, 2026. It's a breakdown of recorded accidents rather than a safety rating, and types with significant non-GA operation (such as Part 135) may be under-represented.

91%
Identity Confirmed

Accidents are identity-confirmed against FAA registration records (two independent sources).


124 exact, 5 recovered, 12 provisional

Methodology
141
Recorded GA Accidents

Total recorded general-aviation accidents within the analyzed period.


11 fatal accidents.

7.8% of recorded accidents were fatal.

1,120
Currently Registered

Active aircraft fleet size contributing to the exposure data.


20,851

Aircraft-years of FAA registration exposure (2008–present).


Comparison

Within its peer cohort

Within this model's peer class (same aircraft type, engine class, and seat range), comparison of its share of recorded NTSB accidents to its share of FAA registration exposure (aircraft-years since 2008).

This is a share comparison, not flight-hours adjusted, so a model flown more per airframe than its peers will show an accident share above its exposure share even if its per-hour safety is average. Methodology →

Model class Share of cohort
Accidents
8.1%
Exposure
5.4%
Time series

Accidents by year

Recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents per calendar year, derived directly from the NTSB accident database. Each bar shows the accidents that occurred in that year. Methodology →

Investigations take 12–36 months to finalise, so the trailing years come in incomplete. Recent years are adjusted upward for that lag. Observed counts show as solid bars, the lag-adjusted estimate shows hatched.

2008 – 2026 Total 141
Accidents by year Accidents by year (total 141 observed): 2008 7, 2009 7, 2010 6, 2011 9, 2012 10, 2013 7, 2014 1, 2015 4, 2016 10, 2017 8, 2018 12, 2019 8, 2020 9, 2021 12, 2022 6, 2023 9, 2024 7, 2025 6, 2026 3. 4 8 12 16 0 7 '08 7 '09 6 '10 9 '11 10 '12 7 '13 1 '14 4 '15 10 '16 8 '17 12 '18 8 '19 9 '20 12 '21 6 '22 10 '23 8 '24 7 '25 9 '26
Composition

Phase of flight

Which phase of flight each accident occurred in, as coded by the NTSB. Most accidents happen in the phases where most flying time is concentrated, so this isn't a measure of which phase is most dangerous.

8 categories Total 141
Landing 91
Takeoff 16
Enroute 11
Initial climb 7
Taxi 6
Approach 6
Maneuvering 3
Standing 1
Causes

Finding category

Top-level NTSB cause category, from the coded investigation findings. An accident often has more than one finding, so totals here can exceed the recorded accident count.

NTSB top-level codes Total 385
Personnel issues 147
Aircraft 140
Environmental issues 92
Not determined 6
Outcomes

Injury severity

NTSB classification of the worst injury in each accident: None, Minor, Serious, or Fatal. Each accident counts in exactly one severity.

Highest per accident Total 141
None 120
Fatal 11
Minor 9
Serious 1

Operating-rule mix (all parts): 091 (141)· 135 (8)· NUSN (3)· PUBU (3)· UNK (1)

Recorded Accidents

All 141 recorded NTSB general-aviation accidents for this model, most recent first.

Date Location Tail Damage Highest injury Phase of flight Finding categories
Fergus Falls, MN N926HM Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft
Fairbanks, AK N217C unknown Fatal Taxi Aircraft
Plymouth, CT N2423A Substantial Minor Initial climb Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Sunriver, OR N94078 Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft
Evansville, IN N1040F Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Gila Bend, AZ N185DG Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Arlington, WA N185BB Substantial None Landing Aircraft
Kingsley, IA N7574N Substantial None Enroute Aircraft
Blanco, TX N1393F Substantial None Landing Environmental issues, Aircraft, Personnel issues
Hoonah, AK N1199Q Substantial None Landing Personnel issues
Dillingham, AK N8216J Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Chandalar Lake, AK N85DT Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Driggs, ID N9BB Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
North Vernon, IN N19D Substantial None Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft
Anchorage, AK N714JE Substantial None Landing Not determined
Fairbanks, AK N58316 Substantial Minor Landing Personnel issues
Pueblo, CO N185RF Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Skwentna, AK N1848R Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Richland, WA N814BA Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Bellaire, MI N185DK Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Sugar Land, TX N5418E Substantial Minor Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
Kalispell, MT N185GK Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Susanville, CA N60934 Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Palmer, AK N360DC Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Port Townsend, WA N185KL Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues

Page 2 of 6 (showing accidents 26–50 of 141).

Data presented on this website is sourced directly from official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records. To ensure accuracy, we try not to correct issues such as improper punctuation, spelling errors, empty fields, or unusual labels like "SALE REPORTED" for a registrant. We make every effort to present information as it appears in the FAA database. This website is not affiliated with any government agency.