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
Winifred, MT N185 Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Hawley, MN N550FK Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Conroe, TX C-GOZJ Destroyed Fatal Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
San Carlos, CA N34GE Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Rangeley Lake, ME N1920Q Substantial Minor Takeoff Environmental issues, Aircraft, Personnel issues
Stanley, ID N612TW Substantial None Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
Ashland, ME N484RF Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Whittier, AK N5457X Substantial Fatal Landing Personnel issues, Aircraft
Kalispell, MT N185FT Substantial None Landing Not determined, Aircraft
Lafayette, LA N2744Q Substantial None Taxi Personnel issues, Aircraft
Big Lake, AK N93018 Substantial None Landing Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Reardan, WA N185PR Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Environmental issues, Personnel issues
Fairbanks, AK N70391 Substantial None Enroute Aircraft, Environmental issues
Bullhead City, AZ N573BV Substantial Serious Initial climb Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Kaktovik, AK N8041R Substantial None Maneuvering Aircraft
McCall, ID N93039 Substantial None Landing Aircraft
Big Lake, AK N185MC Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Environmental issues
White Mountain, AK N185KB Substantial None Enroute Not determined
Miami, FL N14ED Substantial Minor Takeoff Aircraft, Personnel issues
Chandler, AZ N76SC Substantial None Approach Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Sterling, AK N8702Z Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues, Environmental issues
Lowman, ID N2W Substantial None Takeoff Personnel issues, Aircraft, Environmental issues
Aniak, AK N92DC Substantial None Prior to flight Aircraft, Personnel issues
Nampa, ID N208SS Substantial None Landing Aircraft, Personnel issues
Wasilla, AK N401WC Substantial None Enroute Personnel issues, Aircraft

Page 3 of 6 (showing accidents 51–75 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.