What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This Cessna 185 is outfitted with dual floats which are equipped with forward and aft retractable wheel assemblies. The owner/operator serviced the grease fittings on the left and right main landing gear pivot pins approximately one month prior to this short flight. The pivot pins allow the forward wheels to swivel on the aircraft floats. On 1/31/2010 shortly after departure from lake author field (PN84) to Butler Farm Show Airport (3G9) both forward wheels detached from the aircraft. The pilot stated the landing at (3G9) was uneventful until he noticed more power then normal was needed to taxi the aircraft. The pilot stated he shut down the aircraft and inspected the landing gear finding the missing wheels. Less then ¼ of an hour later the aircraft was off runway. On 2/1/2010 the com center received a call concerning a hole in the roof of a school bus garage and an aircraft wheel inside the garage. On the same day an FAA inspector retrieved the wheel assembly, located the manufacture of the wheel (aerocet inc.) and contacted them. Aerocet inc. manufacturers' aircraft floats. Aerocet inc. technical representative stated, the owner of the aircraft had been in touch with them ordering new wheel assemblies. The aircraft and aircraft owner's information was given to the inspector. On 2/2/2010 FAA inspectors met with the owner Mr. Marks at 3G9. The aircraft was still without forward wheels. Minor scratches were noted on the bottom of the landing gear area (bottom blocks) were the wheel assembly attaches. No other damage was noted. Through the aircraft's maintenance records and the illustrated parts catalog it was determined the bottom blocks of each float's forward landing gear assemblies were incorrect parts. These floats were sold and installed as new parts to the owner on 5/11/2009 approximately 8 months and 33 flight hours prior to this incident. The matter is being investigated by the seattle mido.
As the FAA filed it
THIS CESSNA 185 IS OUTFITTED WITH DUAL FLOATS WHICH ARE EQUIPPED WITH FORWARD AND AFT RETRACTABLE WHEEL ASSEMBLIES. THE OWNER/OPERATOR SERVICED THE GREASE FITTINGS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR PIVOT PINS APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THIS SHORT FLIGHT. THE PIVOT PINS ALLOW THE FORWARD WHEELS TO SWIVEL ON THE AIRCRAFT FLOATS. ON 1/31/2010 SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE FROM LAKE AUTHOR FIELD (PN84) TO BUTLER FARM SHOW AIRPORT (3G9) BOTH FORWARD WHEELS DETACHED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THE LANDING AT (3G9) WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL HE NOTICED MORE POWER THEN NORMAL WAS NEEDED TO TAXI THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED HE SHUT DOWN THE AIRCRAFT AND INSPECTED THE LANDING GEAR FINDING THE MISSING WHEELS. LESS THEN ¼ OF AN HOUR LATER THE AIRCRAFT WAS OFF RUNWAY. ON 2/1/2010 THE COM CENTER RECEIVED A CALL CONCERNING A HOLE IN THE ROOF OF A SCHOOL BUS GARAGE AND AN AIRCRAFT WHEEL INSIDE THE GARAGE. ON THE SAME DAY AN FAA INSPECTOR RETRIEVED THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY, LOCATED THE MANUFACTURE OF THE WHEEL (AEROCET INC.) AND CONTACTED THEM. AEROCET INC. MANUFACTURERS' AIRCRAFT FLOATS. AEROCET INC. TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE STATED, THE OWNER OF THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THEM ORDERING NEW WHEEL ASSEMBLIES. THE AIRCRAFT AND AIRCRAFT OWNER'S INFORMATION WAS GIVEN TO THE INSPECTOR. ON 2/2/2010 FAA INSPECTORS MET WITH THE OWNER MR. MARKS AT 3G9. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STILL WITHOUT FORWARD WHEELS. MINOR SCRATCHES WERE NOTED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LANDING GEAR AREA (BOTTOM BLOCKS) WERE THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY ATTACHES. NO OTHER DAMAGE WAS NOTED. THROUGH THE AIRCRAFT'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS AND THE ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG IT WAS DETERMINED THE BOTTOM BLOCKS OF EACH FLOAT'S FORWARD LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLIES WERE INCORRECT PARTS. THESE FLOATS WERE SOLD AND INSTALLED AS NEW PARTS TO THE OWNER ON 5/11/2009 APPROXIMATELY 8 MONTHS AND 33 FLIGHT HOURS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE MATTER IS BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE SEATTLE MIDO.