19970223014329A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna A185F · Ketchikan, AK · February 23, 1997

Date: February 23, 1997 · 14:00 local
Place: Ketchikan, AK
Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N4471R
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC97LA078
Reported as: Cessna A185F
Reported engine: Continental IO520D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 210 total90 in this make and model6 in the last 90 days

N4471RRegistered now · Cessna A185FS/N 18502964 · Built 1976 Airframe modelCessna A185F Engine modelContinental IO-520 seriesReciprocating

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.

(.4)The pilot was landing a float equipped airplane near an ocean bay. Small ocean swells were present in the area of intended landing. The pilot indicated that during the landing approach, the descent rate was excessive, and she added full power to begin a go-around. The airplane continued to descend and the floats firmly contacted the water. The airplane then lifted off the water, and the pilot noticed the upper right door hinge was broken. The airplane was not flown again or inspected until 3 months later. The inspection facility noticed wrinkling and distortion of the lower fuselage, aft of the firewall and under the doors of the airplane. All of the airplane's door hinges were broken. Additional wrinkling was observed above the baggage door, under the aft window. The inspection facility considered the airplane as unairworthy.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE PILOT WAS LANDING A FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE NEAR AN OCEAN BAY. SMALL OCEAN SWELLS WERE PRESENT IN THE AREA OF INTENDED LANDING. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT DURING THE LANDING APPROACH, THE DESCENT RATE WAS EXCESSIVE, AND SHE ADDED FULL POWER TO BEGIN A GO-AROUND. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND AND THE FLOATS FIRMLY CONTACTED THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE THEN LIFTED OFF THE WATER, AND THE PILOT NOTICED THE UPPER RIGHT DOOR HINGE WAS BROKEN. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT FLOWN AGAIN OR INSPECTED UNTIL 3 MONTHS LATER. THE INSPECTION FACILITY NOTICED WRINKLING AND DISTORTION OF THE LOWER FUSELAGE, AFT OF THE FIREWALL AND UNDER THE DOORS OF THE AIRPLANE. ALL OF THE AIRPLANE'S DOOR HINGES WERE BROKEN. ADDITIONAL WRINKLING WAS OBSERVED ABOVE THE BAGGAGE DOOR, UNDER THE AFT WINDOW. THE INSPECTION FACILITY CONSIDERED THE AIRPLANE AS UNAIRWORTHY.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ANC97LA078Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportKetchikan, AKthe pilot allowed an excessive rate of descent to develope during an approach to land, and delayed in initiating a go-around.Feb 23, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4471R · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20180603025069ILanding: Rollout · Hilo, HIHelicopters were operating near by approach end of runway. Potential air turbulence from black hawk helicopters may have lifted right wing as pilot was in landing configuration, slow and low near the ground. Very minor ground loop occured on roll out, which…Jun 3, 2018 · Minor damage Accident 19940608014149ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Kassan Bay, AKLanding in bay crosswind lined up with swells. Weather vaned coming off step. Wing hit wave. Cartwheeled.Jun 8, 1994 · Substantial damage