What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On may 30, 1999, at 1630, eastern daylight time, a Cessna A185F, N881FD, collided with a utility line and sank in lake murray near Chapin, south carolina. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged; the private pilot received minor injuries and his passenger was not injured. The flight departed camden, south carolina at an undetermined time. According to the pilot, he was enroute to visit a friend who lived on lake murray. As the pilot maneuvered for an approach to land on the lake, the airplane lost engine power. The pilot, reportedly, saw the utility lines that crossed the lake and attempted to fly over the utility lines. The airplane collided with the utility lines, fell into the lake, and sank in 12 feet of water. The pilot and his passenger were rescued within minutes by south carolina state wild life personnel patrolling the lake. (.4) as the pilot maneuvered for an approach to land on the lake, the airplane lost engine power. Following the loss of engine power, the pilot saw utility lines t hat crossed the lake, and attempted to avoid the utility lines. The airplane collided with the utility lines, fell into the lake, and sank in 12 feet of water. An examination of the airframe and engine assembly was accomplished. The engine examination included a functional test run. The engine operated normally through all power ranges. The examination of the airframe failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or system failure. (-23)the amphibious float plane departed lake wateree, camden, SC with the pilot/owner privacy data omittedand his wife. This was a part 91 flight with no flight plan filed. The pilot was attempting to land on lake murray near newberry, SC, when it collided with utility power lines. The aircraft dropped to the water and sank in about 12 ft. of water. The aircraft was substaintally damaged. The pilot and passenger were able to exit aircraft and were rescued by boat. The pilot received minor injuries and the passenger were not injured. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he was aware of the power lines and was planning to fly well over them. He stated that when turning left base leg to final , the aircraft listed to the right and began to drop. He stated that the aircraft did not respond to his control inputs and the engine would not respond to full throttle. The pilot also stated that he thought that his right wing spar broke in flight causing his control problems.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON MAY 30, 1999, AT 1630, EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA A185F, N881FD, COLLIDED WITH A UTILITY LINE AND SANK IN LAKE MURRAY NEAR CHAPIN, SOUTH CAROLINA. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED; THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND HIS PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA AT AN UNDETERMINED TIME. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE WAS ENROUTE TO VISIT A FRIEND WHO LIVED ON LAKE MURRAY. AS THE PILOT MANEUVERED FOR AN APPROACH TO LAND ON THE LAKE, THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT, REPORTEDLY, SAW THE UTILITY LINES THAT CROSSED THE LAKE AND ATTEMPTED TO FLY OVER THE UTILITY LINES. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE UTILITY LINES, FELL INTO THE LAKE, AND SANK IN 12 FEET OF WATER. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE RESCUED WITHIN MINUTES BY SOUTH CAROLINA STATE WILD LIFE PERSONNEL PATROLLING THE LAKE. (.4) AS THE PILOT MANEUVERED FOR AN APPROACH TO LAND ON THE LAKE, THE AIRPLANE LOST ENGINE POWER. FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, THE PILOT SAW UTILITY LINES T HAT CROSSED THE LAKE, AND ATTEMPTED TO AVOID THE UTILITY LINES. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH THE UTILITY LINES, FELL INTO THE LAKE, AND SANK IN 12 FEET OF WATER. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINE ASSEMBLY WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE ENGINE EXAMINATION INCLUDED A FUNCTIONAL TEST RUN. THE ENGINE OPERATED NORMALLY THROUGH ALL POWER RANGES. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR SYSTEM FAILURE. (-23)THE AMPHIBIOUS FLOAT PLANE DEPARTED LAKE WATEREE, CAMDEN, SC WITH THE PILOT/OWNER ^PRIVACY DAT^AND HIS WIFE. THIS WAS A PART 91 FLIGHT WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON LAKE MURRAY NEAR NEWBERRY, SC, WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH UTILITY POWER LINES. THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED TO THE WATER AND SANK IN ABOUT 12 FT. OF WATER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTAINTALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EXIT AIRCRAFT AND WERE RESCUED BY BOAT. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF THE POWER LINES AND WAS PLANNING TO FLY WELL OVER THEM. HE STATED THAT WHEN TURNING LEFT BASE LEG TO FINAL , THE AIRCRAFT LISTED TO THE RIGHT AND BEGAN TO DROP. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT RESPOND TO HIS CONTROL INPUTS AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO FULL THROTTLE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT HIS RIGHT WING SPAR BROKE IN FLIGHT CAUSING HIS CONTROL PROBLEMS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.