19930801027309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 180 · Naubinway, MI · August 1, 1993

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Date: August 1, 1993 · 16:35 local
Place: Naubinway, MI
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: CFPTU
Reported as: Cessna 180
Reported engine: Continental O470R
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 750 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Encountered fog and thunderstorms en route. Tried to land float plane on rough lake water and overturned. (.4) the pilot was flying his float equipped airplane along the northern shore of lake Michigan. He observed lowering ceilings and fog over the lake, and gave a pilot report to a fss of clear air over land. He continued towards his destination and flew into the deteriorating weather. The passenger stated that the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing in the lake because of the reduced visibility and low ceiling. She said the water was rough and the airplane landed hard, dug in the right float and nosed over. With the pilot's assistance, she was able to escape the cabin of the airplane through the passenger window and swim to the surface. She went back to help the pilot (her husband) but he was stuck half-way out the window and she could not free him.

As the FAA filed it

ENCOUNTERED FOG AND THUNDERSTORMS EN ROUTE. TRIED TO LAND FLOAT PLANE ON ROUGH LAKE WATER AND OVERTURNED. (.4) THE PILOT WAS FLYING HIS FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE ALONG THE NORTHERN SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN. HE OBSERVED LOWERING CEILINGS AND FOG OVER THE LAKE, AND GAVE A PILOT REPORT TO A FSS OF CLEAR AIR OVER LAND. HE CONTINUED TOWARDS HIS DESTINATION AND FLEW INTO THE DETERIORATING WEATHER. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT THE PILOT ELECTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING IN THE LAKE BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED VISIBILITY AND LOW CEILING. SHE SAID THE WATER WAS ROUGH AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD, DUG IN THE RIGHT FLOAT AND NOSED OVER. WITH THE PILOT'S ASSISTANCE, SHE WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE THE CABIN OF THE AIRPLANE THROUGH THE PASSENGER WINDOW AND SWIM TO THE SURFACE. SHE WENT BACK TO HELP THE PILOT (HER HUSBAND) BUT HE WAS STUCK HALF-WAY OUT THE WINDOW AND SHE COULD NOT FREE HIM.