19990829024649A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna A185E · Anchorage, AK · August 29, 1999

Date
August 29, 1999 · 18:15 local
Place
Anchorage, AK
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N124LR
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC99LA126
Reported as
Cessna A185E
Reported engine
Continental IO520D
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,454 total682 in this make and model85 in the last 90 days

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.

(.19) On August 29, 1999, about 1815 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna A185E airplane, N124LR, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing, about 4 miles east of Anchorage, Alaska, at 61.06.37 north latitude, 149.51.80 west longitude. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91, when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot, and the three passengers, were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1743, from an off airport site located on eleanor island, Alaska. During an on-site interview with the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge on August 29, the pilot reported that during the initial descent to the lake hood seaplane base, all engine power was lost. The pilot said that after performing the engine emergency procedures, he was unable to restore engine power. The pilot said that he selected a forced landing area in a slough that was surrounded by trees. During the forced landing, the left wing struck a stand of trees, and the airplane pivoted to the left. The airplane susta ined damage to the wings and fuselage. (-23) on August 19, 1999 about 1815 daylight time, a float equipped Cessna A185E airplane, N124LR, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing about 4 miles east of Anchorage. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal flight under title 14, CFR part 91 when the accident occurred. The certificated private pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated about 1743, from an off airport site located on eleanor island, Alaska. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. (.4) the certificated private pilot, with three passengers aboard, reported that during initial descent, all engine power was lost. He said that after performing the engine emergency procedures, he was unable to restore engine power, and he selected a forced landing site that was surrounded by trees. During the forced landing, the left wing struck a stand of trees, and the airplane pivoted to the left. A postaccident investigation revealed the PR esence of fuel in both wing tanks, fuel lines, and the fuel manifold assembly. No mechanical defects were found with the engine. The cockpit fuel selector valve was found in the 'both' position. On September 7, 1999, the engine was operated while still mounted on the accident airplane's airframe. No anomalies were observed during its operation, and the engine produced full factory specified RPM.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON AUGUST 29, 1999, ABOUT 1815 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA A185E AIRPLANE, N124LR, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING, ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, AT 61.06.37 NORTH LATITUDE, 149.51.80 WEST LONGITUDE. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91, WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, AND THE THREE PASSENGERS, WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1743, FROM AN OFF AIRPORT SITE LOCATED ON ELEANOR ISLAND, ALASKA. DURING AN ON-SITE INTERVIEW WITH THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE ON AUGUST 29, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING THE INITIAL DESCENT TO THE LAKE HOOD SEAPLANE BASE, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. THE PILOT SAID THAT AFTER PERFORMING THE ENGINE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE SELECTED A FORCED LANDING AREA IN A SLOUGH THAT WAS SURROUNDED BY TREES. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A STAND OF TREES, AND THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRPLANE SUSTA INED DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. (-23) ON AUGUST 19, 1999 ABOUT 1815 DAYLIGHT TIME, A FLOAT EQUIPPED CESSNA A185E AIRPLANE, N124LR, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING ABOUT 4 MILES EAST OF ANCHORAGE. THE AIRPLANE WAS BEING OPERATED AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14, CFR PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1743, FROM AN OFF AIRPORT SITE LOCATED ON ELEANOR ISLAND, ALASKA. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE WINGS AND FUSELAGE. (.4) THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT, WITH THREE PASSENGERS ABOARD, REPORTED THAT DURING INITIAL DESCENT, ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. HE SAID THAT AFTER PERFORMING THE ENGINE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, HE WAS UNABLE TO RESTORE ENGINE POWER, AND HE SELECTED A FORCED LANDING SITE THAT WAS SURROUNDED BY TREES. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A STAND OF TREES, AND THE AIRPLANE PIVOTED TO THE LEFT. A POSTACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE PR ESENCE OF FUEL IN BOTH WING TANKS, FUEL LINES, AND THE FUEL MANIFOLD ASSEMBLY. NO MECHANICAL DEFECTS WERE FOUND WITH THE ENGINE. THE COCKPIT FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND IN THE 'BOTH' POSITION. ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1999, THE ENGINE WAS OPERATED WHILE STILL MOUNTED ON THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE'S AIRFRAME. NO ANOMALIES WERE OBSERVED DURING ITS OPERATION, AND THE ENGINE PRODUCED FULL FACTORY SPECIFIED RPM.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.