19970624026959I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna A185F · Anchorage, AK · June 24, 1997

Date: June 24, 1997 · 09:00 local
Place: Anchorage, AK
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N4952E
NTSB investigation: NTSBANC97IA089
Reported as: Cessna A185F
Reported engine: Continental IO520D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 11,900 total4,500 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

N4952ERegistered now · Cessna A185FS/N 18503918 · Built 1979 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.

(-5)The airline transport pilot was taking a check ride with an FAA inspector for a reinstatement of his flight instructor certificate. The check ride was being conducted in the pilot's amphibian float equipped airplane. Under the direction of the FAA inspector, the pilot was demonstrating the technique for a glassy water landing. Shortly after touchdown, the airplane slowly nosed over. Both the pilot and the inspector were uninjured, and were able to quickly evacuate the airplane. The pilot related he was given different departure instruction from the air traffic control tower when he took off from a hard surface runway at the beginning of the flight, and he elected to leave his wheels extended longer that normal because of the route of flight. He said he forgot to retract then prior to the water landing. The FAA inspector indicated he also was unaware of the extended wheels. The landing gear indicator light in the airplane was functional at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-5)THE AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS TAKING A CHECK RIDE WITH AN FAA INSPECTOR FOR A REINSTATEMENT OF HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATE. THE CHECK RIDE WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN THE PILOT'S AMPHIBIAN FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE FAA INSPECTOR, THE PILOT WAS DEMONSTRATING THE TECHNIQUE FOR A GLASSY WATER LANDING. SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE AIRPLANE SLOWLY NOSED OVER. BOTH THE PILOT AND THE INSPECTOR WERE UNINJURED, AND WERE ABLE TO QUICKLY EVACUATE THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT RELATED HE WAS GIVEN DIFFERENT DEPARTURE INSTRUCTION FROM THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER WHEN HE TOOK OFF FROM A HARD SURFACE RUNWAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FLIGHT, AND HE ELECTED TO LEAVE HIS WHEELS EXTENDED LONGER THAT NORMAL BECAUSE OF THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. HE SAID HE FORGOT TO RETRACT THEN PRIOR TO THE WATER LANDING. THE FAA INSPECTOR INDICATED HE ALSO WAS UNAWARE OF THE EXTENDED WHEELS. THE LANDING GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT IN THE AIRPLANE WAS FUNCTIONAL AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.

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 ANC97IA089Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportAnchorage, AKThe pilot-in-command's failure to retract the landing gear which led to an inadvertent water landing with the amphibian float wheels extended. Associated factors are the pilot's habit interference and the FAA inspector's inadequate monitoring of the flight.Jun 24, 1997 · Minor damage

Other reports on N4952E · 1

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

Incident 19800707059899ITo Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct) · Naknek, AKPilot landed on the beach, ran into a soft spot, damaged landing gear.Jul 7, 1980 · Reported as Cessna 185C · Minor damage