19970619018419A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna A185F · Sitka, AK · June 19, 1997

Date: June 19, 1997 · 14:40 local
Place: Sitka, AK
Phase of flight: Simulated Forced Landing/Tkof
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: M5VA
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N60859
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC97LA086
Reported as: Cessna A185F
Reported engine: Continental IO520D
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 4,911 total1,155 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N60859Registration cancelled Dec 31, 2001 · Cessna A185FS/N 18504064 · Built 1980 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 certificated commercial pilot (first pilot) was receiving training in preparation for a CFR part 135 check ride in a float equipped airplane. The company's chief pilot (second pilot), was seated in the right front seat of the airplane. The second pilot briefed the first pilot about a training maneuver that was a simulated engine failure after takeoff from the water. After takeoff with 20 degrees of flaps selected, the second pilot pulled the engine throttle to idle about 60 to 100 feet above the water. The first pilot lowered the nose of the airplane and descended for landing. The first pilot landed the airplane on the water in a level attitude, but with an excessive rate of descent. The front float strut attach points separated from the fuselage, and the front of the fuselage pivoted downward, coming to rest on the front float spreader bar. The airplane received wrinkling damage to the fuselage aft of the float attach points.

As the FAA filed it

(.4)THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT (FIRST PILOT) WAS RECEIVING TRAINING IN PREPARATION FOR A CFR PART 135 CHECK RIDE IN A FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. THE COMPANY'S CHIEF PILOT (SECOND PILOT), WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT OF THE AIRPLANE. THE SECOND PILOT BRIEFED THE FIRST PILOT ABOUT A TRAINING MANEUVER THAT WAS A SIMULATED ENGINE FAILURE AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE WATER. AFTER TAKEOFF WITH 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS SELECTED, THE SECOND PILOT PULLED THE ENGINE THROTTLE TO IDLE ABOUT 60 TO 100 FEET ABOVE THE WATER. THE FIRST PILOT LOWERED THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE AND DESCENDED FOR LANDING. THE FIRST PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE ON THE WATER IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE, BUT WITH AN EXCESSIVE RATE OF DESCENT. THE FRONT FLOAT STRUT ATTACH POINTS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE, AND THE FRONT OF THE FUSELAGE PIVOTED DOWNWARD, COMING TO REST ON THE FRONT FLOAT SPREADER BAR. THE AIRPLANE RECEIVED WRINKLING DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE FLOAT ATTACH POINTS.

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 ANC97LA086Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSitka, AKfailure of the pilot(s) to properly flare the airplane during a simulated forced landing. The excessive rate of descent on final approach was a related factor.Jun 19, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N60859 · 1

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

Accident 19990919027859ATo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Pilot Point, AK(.19) On September 19, 1999, about 1030 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 185F airplane, N60859, sustained substantial damage after colliding with terrain during takeoff from a remote lake, about 18 miles southeast of Pilot Point, Alaska, at…Sep 19, 1999 · Substantial damage