19990605006489A

Acft crashed on landing and sustained substantial damage, the pilot suffered fatal injuries, no injuries were reported to the 3 pax, other circumstances are unknown. (-23) on June 5, 1999, at 1035 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna 185 float equipped airplane, N61609, sustained substantial damage during landing on Longmare Lake, about four miles east of Soldotna, AK. The private pilot was fatally injured. The three passengers on board were not injured. The flight operated under 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight to a friend's house on Longmare Lake. The flight departed from the pilot's home on campbell lake, anchorage, AK, at 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a flight plan was filed with the friend at the destination. The passengers and witnesses were interviewed by the NTSB investigator-in-charge (iic) at the scene on June 5, about 1330. They all described the airplane landing into a left, quartering headwind of about 10 knots, with light chop on the water surface. The airplane was described landing hard on the left float, and bouncing back into the air. The airplane then landed on the right float, the right wingtip contacted the water, and the plane nosed over, coming to rest with the left wing submerged and the right wing pointing into the air. All occupants were wearing integrated inertial reel seatbelts and shoulder harnesses. The passengers stated that they released their harnesses, and escaped through the right hand door. They said the pilot remained in his seat, and commented that he could not find the buckle to release his seatbelt. They described the airplane slowly filling with water and sinking nose down and left. Both the pilot, and the right-front seat passenger attempted to cut the pilot's seatbelt, but could not locate it before the airplane rolled inverted. Attempts to open the pilot's door from the outside were unsuccessful, as were attempts by two of the passengers and one witness from shore to submerge themselves in the 40 degree fahrenheit water to rescue the pilot. After the airplane was recovered, the pilot's door was found locked. The NTSB iic was able to operate the pilot's seatbelt buckle smoothly, and without binding, both with the belt assembly loose, and under tension. (.4) the private pilot was landing the float equipped airplane on choppy water with a left-quartering headwind of 10 knots. The airplane landed hard on the left boat, bounced into the air, and landed on the right float. The right wing contacted the water, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest with the left wing submerged and the right wing pointed into the air. The three passengers on board released their seatbelts, and exited the right cabin door. Both the pilot and the right-front seat passenger were unable to locate, release, or cut the pilot's seatbelt. The pilot was described by one passenger as 'awake, and alert, and fully cognizant of the situation; able to cooperate but unable to complete the task for whatever reason.' The airplane slowly rolled inverted and remained afloat. The passengers, and a rescuer from shore, were unable to open the pilot's locked door, or remain submerged in the 40 degree fahrenheit water. The diver who removed the pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that when he released the pilot's seatbelt, the pilot was removed without difficulty. Postaccident inspection by the iic revealed that once unlocked, the door could be opened normally. Reaching the pilot's door handle required the occupant to twist his torso to the left, and reach behind his shoulder. The pilot's seatbelt release buckle could be opened with one hand and less than 10 pounds of force. The pilot's buckle was located aft of his left hip, and sandwiched between the left door and the seat. With the door closed, the seatbelt buckle was masked under the door armrest. The Cessna inertial reel, seatbelt/shoulder harness assembly was installed according to the manufacturer's specifications. FAA advisory circular AC-21-34 states in part: 'a proper installation geometry for the diagonal shoulder harness positions the shoulder belt so that it passes over the midpoint of the shoulder, with the lower end fastened well to the side of the occupant's hip.' Toxicology tests revealed the presence of phentermine, a prescription stimulant, similar to amphetamines, was present in the pilot's blood and urine. No record of a prescription was found. The pilot was a pharmacist. The physician's desk reference contains the following contraindications regarding phentermine: '...agitated states...phentermine hydrochloride may impair the ability of the patient to engage in potentially hazardous activities such as operating a motor vehicle; ...caution is to be exercised in prescribing...for patients with even mild hypertension.'