# Accident 19990623007549A: Cessna A185E, East Haddam, CT, June 23, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 23, 1999, 14:00 local time - Place: East Haddam, CT - Airport: Goodspeed Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.4457° N, 72.4556° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at GOODSPEED (42B), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4457&lon=-72.4556&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3385L, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3385L) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Cessna A185E (registry code 2072818, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185e) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental IO-520 series (registry code 17032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA A185E - Reported engine: CONT IO520D - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 12,500 total, 200 in this make and model, 92 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA156) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990623007549A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT WAS ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT WHEN IT CRASHED ON TAKE-OFF FROM RWY 32 INTO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AND WAS DESTROYED, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)THE AIRPLANE WAS ON ITS FIRST FLIGHT SINCE RECENT MAINTENANCE FROM A PREVIOUS ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBMERGED UNDER WATER. AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED OUT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOOSE POWER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING TO A RIVER. THE AIRPLANE STALLED AND IMPACTED THE WATER NOSE DOWN AND SANK. A TEST RUN OF THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. INSPECTION OF THE FUEL INJECTOR DISTRIBUTOR VALVE REVEALED FUEL AND WATER COMING FROM UNDER THE DIAPHRAGM. AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS ISSUED IN 1986 TO PREVENT POWER LOSS OR ENGINE STOPPAGE DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATION OF FUEL SYSTEM. THE AD ADDRESSED THE POTENTIAL FOR TRAPPED WATER IN THE WING FUEL BLADDER DUE TO WRINKLES. THE AD WAS COMPLIED WITH IN 1989. EXAMINATION OF THE LEFT WING REVEALED INWARD AND UPWARD CRUSHING DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE, FROM THE WING ROOT OUTWARD. THE WING FUEL BLADDER WAS INSPECTED, AND 5 WRINKLES WERE FOUND, ABOUT 8-12 INCHE S IN LENGTH AND 1/4 INCH HIGH, THAT EXTENDED FROM THE WING ROOT, OUTWARD. (-23) ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1999, RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM OPERATIONS CENTER REGARDING AIRCRAFT IN CONNECTICUT RIVER AT EAST HADDAM, CT. AIRCRAFT WAS ON MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT WITH PIC AND MECHANIC FOLLOWING EXTENSIVE MAINTENANCE. AFTER THREE TEST RUNS DOWN RUNWAY, DEPARTED R/WAY 32 AND ON ROTATION PIC REPORTED ENGINE LOST POWER AND QUIT. AIRCRAFT BARELY CLEARED TREES AND LANDED IN RIVER ABOUT 150 FT FROM SHORE. AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. BOTH THE PILOT AND MECHANIC ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES. AIRCR AFT WAS RETRIEVED FROM WATER AND INVESTIGATION WAS CONDUCTED AS TO PROBABLE CAUSE. THE CONCLUSION IS THAT UNDETECTED WATER REMAINING IN THE LEFT TANK FROM RIVER INCURSION 10 MONTHS EARLIER, MIGRATED INTO THE FUEL SYSTEM ON ROTATION AND CAUSED ENGINE TO LOSE POWER AND QUIT. WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL INJECTION DISTRIBUTOR AND IT WAS CONFIRMED BY CONTINENTAL REPRESENTATIVE THAT IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT WATER WOULD MIGRATE INTO THIS SYSTEM SINCE AT THIS POINT, THE SYSTEM WAS CLOSED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC99LA156](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA156), Jun 23, 1999: Cessna 185E (N3385L), East Haddam, CT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The loss of engine power due to water in the fuel system. ## Other reports on N3385L (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19980526037109I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980526037109I), May 26, 1998: Cessna A185E (N3385L), East Haddam, CT, Minor damage. (-5) Aircraft departed Goodspeed Airport, (42B) runway 32, climbed out north up river with walter a. johnson as (PIC), alton fitzgerald (CFI) in rt. Fwd. Seat,… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.