20070707832379I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna A185F · Northport, MI · July 7, 2007

Date: July 7, 2007 · 17:00 local
Place: Northport, MI
Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N45DS
Reported as: Cessna A185F
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 950 total250 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N45DSRegistered now · Cessna A185FS/N 18503111 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) Pilot stated the following: he had landed in the water, in Northport bay, near Northport, MI and was attempting a takeoff when he noticed that aircraft was not getting up on the step and water was going over the pontoons. Pilot aborted takeoff and was taxiing at slow speed and made turn towards shore to beach the aircraft, to wait for calmer waters before attempting another takeoff. When the pilot made the turn for shore the right pontoon went under the water and aircraft pitched down and began to sink. Aircraft slowly became inverted and came to rest with only the pontoons out of the water. Pilot and passenger (wife) were able to exit the aircraft with minor injuries. Entire incident and preceeding account of the events, was witnessed by and confirmed by lelaunaw county sheriff water patrol officer.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THE FOLLOWING: HE HAD LANDED IN THE WATER, IN NORTHPORT BAY, NEAR NORTHPORT, MI AND WAS ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF WHEN HE NOTICED THAT AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GETTING UP ON THE STEP AND WATER WAS GOING OVER THE PONTOONS. PILOT ABORTED TAKEOFF AND WAS TAXIING AT SLOW SPEED AND MADE TURN TOWARDS SHORE TO BEACH THE AIRCRAFT, TO WAIT FOR CALMER WATERS BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANOTHER TAKEOFF. WHEN THE PILOT MADE THE TURN FOR SHORE THE RIGHT PONTOON WENT UNDER THE WATER AND AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN AND BEGAN TO SINK. AIRCRAFT SLOWLY BECAME INVERTED AND CAME TO REST WITH ONLY THE PONTOONS OUT OF THE WATER. PILOT AND PASSENGER (WIFE) WERE ABLE TO EXIT THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES. ENTIRE INCIDENT AND PRECEEDING ACCOUNT OF THE EVENTS, WAS WITNESSED BY AND CONFIRMED BY LELAUNAW COUNTY SHERIFF WATER PATROL OFFICER.