20020423008189I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna A185F · Cornelius, NC · April 23, 2002

Date: April 23, 2002 · 19:20 local
Place: Cornelius, NC
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N934TC
Reported as: Cessna A185F
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 30,000 total800 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N934TCRegistered now · Cessna A185FS/N 18503026 · Built 1976 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.

(-23) Flight originated from clt to lake norman, pilot was practicing takeoffs and landings. Pilot stated that he stopped after the second landing and pumped water from the floats, pilot continued. After landing and whle taxiing home the right float began to sink and slowly rolled the aircraft over. The pilot was able to shutdown the engine and exit the aircraft prior to it rolling completely over. This inspector examined both floats after aircraft was recovered. The following was found 1.) Left float, front forward compartment the pump-out tube was disconnected. All compartments appeared to be sealed and watertight. 2.) Right float, front forward compartment the pump-out tube was loose. Several of the compartments in the float were not water tight, the water in the compartments equalized itselft. There was some evidence of water leaking out of the keel and the right side seam. Review of the logbooks, no recent maintenance had been performed on the floats.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM CLT TO LAKE NORMAN, PILOT WAS PRACTICING TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. PILOT STATED THAT HE STOPPED AFTER THE SECOND LANDING AND PUMPED WATER FROM THE FLOATS, PILOT CONTINUED. AFTER LANDING AND WHLE TAXIING HOME THE RIGHT FLOAT BEGAN TO SINK AND SLOWLY ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT OVER. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND EXIT THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IT ROLLING COMPLETELY OVER. THIS INSPECTOR EXAMINED BOTH FLOATS AFTER AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED. THE FOLLOWING WAS FOUND 1.) LEFT FLOAT, FRONT FORWARD COMPARTMENT THE PUMP-OUT TUBE WAS DISCONNECTED. ALL COMPARTMENTS APPEARED TO BE SEALED AND WATERTIGHT. 2.) RIGHT FLOAT, FRONT FORWARD COMPARTMENT THE PUMP-OUT TUBE WAS LOOSE. SEVERAL OF THE COMPARTMENTS IN THE FLOAT WERE NOT WATER TIGHT, THE WATER IN THE COMPARTMENTS EQUALIZED ITSELFT. THERE WAS SOME EVIDENCE OF WATER LEAKING OUT OF THE KEEL AND THE RIGHT SIDE SEAM. REVIEW OF THE LOGBOOKS, NO RECENT MAINTENANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE FLOATS.