20090429006749A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna A185F · Patterson, LA · April 29, 2009

Date: April 29, 2009 · 17:35 local
Place: Patterson, LA
Phase of flight: Takeoff
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4603E
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN09CA272
Reported as: Cessna A185F
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total3,000 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N4603ERegistration cancelled Aug 28, 2009 · Cessna A185FS/N 18503811 · Built 1979 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) The pilot made several attempts to take off from the water but the aircraft would not become airborne. He stopped and checked the floats and found that they have water inside of them. According to the pilot the right float has more water than the left float. He pumped the water out of the floats and tried to take off again but the aircraft would not become airborne. He then water taxied around a while to find a long water run and tried to take off again. This time the aircraft became airborne but had no airspeed, stalled and crashed into the water, left wing first. The aircraft flipped over and sunk upside down. The floats broke off the aircraft during the crash and separated.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO TAKE OFF FROM THE WATER BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT BECOME AIRBORNE. HE STOPPED AND CHECKED THE FLOATS AND FOUND THAT THEY HAVE WATER INSIDE OF THEM. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE RIGHT FLOAT HAS MORE WATER THAN THE LEFT FLOAT. HE PUMPED THE WATER OUT OF THE FLOATS AND TRIED TO TAKE OFF AGAIN BUT THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT BECOME AIRBORNE. HE THEN WATER TAXIED AROUND A WHILE TO FIND A LONG WATER RUN AND TRIED TO TAKE OFF AGAIN. THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE BUT HAD NO AIRSPEED, STALLED AND CRASHED INTO THE WATER, LEFT WING FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED OVER AND SUNK UPSIDE DOWN. THE FLOATS BROKE OFF THE AIRCRAFT DURING THE CRASH AND SEPARATED.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CEN09CA272Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportPatterson, LAThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed in a turn while attempting to return to land, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the reported loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.Apr 29, 2009 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N4603E · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20060424007869ILevel Off Touchdown · Lafayette, LA(-23) Aircraft landed on runway 22L with gear up, sliding approximately 500'. No injuries, nor damage to the airplane. Only 1 person aboard, "pilot". Aircraft had departed acadiana regional airport (ara) prior to landing at Lafayette.Apr 24, 2006 · Minor damage Incident 19881017061599IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · New Orleans, LALeft gear collapsed on rollout. Veered off runway. Float keel damaged. Released for ferry flight.Oct 17, 1988 · Minor damage