What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On September 11, 2004, at approximately 20:15 Alaska standard time, N5304D, a Cessna 180A aircraft on edo 2870 floats, piloted by steve bilben, a private pilot, made an emergency landing in a small swamp after experiencing a partial power loss. The aircraft was operating under 14 CFR part 91, and was on a local, personal flight. VFR conditions prevailed. The pilot stated in a telephone interview that while flying low (about 200 feet AGL) above a small lake the aircraft engine began running rough. The pilot immediately suspected carburetor ice and applied carburetor heat but the engine began to run rougher. The pilot stated that he thought he may have applied the heat too quickly so he turned the carburetor heat off then applied it again at a slower rate. He stated that the aircraft was able to climb, but just barely. By this time he had flown past the small lake he had been looking at and the immediate area was covered with large trees. He then spotted a small clearing which contained a small swamp. The pilot feared that the engine would quit if he attempted to fly back to the small lake so he elected to make an emergency landing in the clearing. The aircraft suffered substantial damage with no injuries to the pilot or the one passenger.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2004, AT APPROXIMATELY 20:15 ALASKA STANDARD TIME, N5304D, A CESSNA 180A AIRCRAFT ON EDO 2870 FLOATS, PILOTED BY STEVE BILBEN, A PRIVATE PILOT, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A SMALL SWAMP AFTER EXPERIENCING A PARTIAL POWER LOSS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND WAS ON A LOCAL, PERSONAL FLIGHT. VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PILOT STATED IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT WHILE FLYING LOW (ABOUT 200 FEET AGL) ABOVE A SMALL LAKE THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICE AND APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT BUT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE MAY HAVE APPLIED THE HEAT TOO QUICKLY SO HE TURNED THE CARBURETOR HEAT OFF THEN APPLIED IT AGAIN AT A SLOWER RATE. HE STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO CLIMB, BUT JUST BARELY. BY THIS TIME HE HAD FLOWN PAST THE SMALL LAKE HE HAD BEEN LOOKING AT AND THE IMMEDIATE AREA WAS COVERED WITH LARGE TREES. HE THEN SPOTTED A SMALL CLEARING WHICH CONTAINED A SMALL SWAMP. THE PILOT FEARED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD QUIT IF HE ATTEMPTED TO FLY BACK TO THE SMALL LAKE SO HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE CLEARING. THE AIRCRAFT SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WITH NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR THE ONE PASSENGER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.