What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Mr. George thomas was acting as pilot in command of N8435T a 1959 Cessna 182 airplane configured on amphibious floats. The pilot stated that after a normal engine run-up procedure he departed runway 19 from the Colville, Washington airport. After becoming airborne he then adjusted the aircraft's manual turbo-charger knob. At this time the aircraft experienced a loss power, but did not quit. To avoid a power-off decent off the end of the runway the pilot then pushed the controls forward and flew the airplane into the remaining runway. As the result of this hard landing the amphibious landing gear was severely damaged. The retractable wheels collapsed, with gear legs, and spreader bars extensively bent too. In addition, the left wing and left elevator were damages as a result of the gear failure. The pilot's decision to perform the hard landing on the remaining runway length was to avoid flying off the steep embankment located off the end of runway 19. This area includes power lines, private residences, and a nursing home. Two airworthiness inspectors from the spokane, WA FSDO completed an inspection of the aircraft and were unable to determine, or duplicate the cause of the engine's loss of power. All the engine controls and linkage appeared to operate normally. The manual controlled turbo-charger appeared to spin freely. Operation of the electrical fuel boost pump in the high and low positions was normal. Removal of the spark-plugs, and fuel injectors revealed ordinary indications too. Fuel samples were taken from the two wing tanks, and firewall fuel-strainer also appeared normal.
As the FAA filed it
MR. GEORGE THOMAS WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF N8435T A 1959 CESSNA 182 AIRPLANE CONFIGURED ON AMPHIBIOUS FLOATS. THE PILOT STATED THAT AFTER A NORMAL ENGINE RUN-UP PROCEDURE HE DEPARTED RUNWAY 19 FROM THE COLVILLE, WASHINGTON AIRPORT. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE HE THEN ADJUSTED THE AIRCRAFT'S MANUAL TURBO-CHARGER KNOB. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS POWER, BUT DID NOT QUIT. TO AVOID A POWER-OFF DECENT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY THE PILOT THEN PUSHED THE CONTROLS FORWARD AND FLEW THE AIRPLANE INTO THE REMAINING RUNWAY. AS THE RESULT OF THIS HARD LANDING THE AMPHIBIOUS LANDING GEAR WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED. THE RETRACTABLE WHEELS COLLAPSED, WITH GEAR LEGS, AND SPREADER BARS EXTENSIVELY BENT TOO. IN ADDITION, THE LEFT WING AND LEFT ELEVATOR WERE DAMAGES AS A RESULT OF THE GEAR FAILURE.THE PILOT'S DECISION TO PERFORM THE HARD LANDING ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY LENGTH WAS TO AVOID FLYING OFF THE STEEP EMBANKMENT LOCATED OFF THE END OF RUNWAY 19. THIS AREA INCLUDES POWER LINES, PRIVATE RESIDENCES, AND A NURSING HOME.TWO AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTORS FROM THE SPOKANE, WA FSDO COMPLETED AN INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE, OR DUPLICATE THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE'S LOSS OF POWER. ALL THE ENGINE CONTROLS AND LINKAGE APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE MANUAL CONTROLLED TURBO-CHARGER APPEARED TO SPIN FREELY. OPERATION OF THE ELECTRICAL FUEL BOOST PUMP IN THE HIGH AND LOW POSITIONS WAS NORMAL. REMOVAL OF THE SPARK-PLUGS, AND FUEL INJECTORS REVEALED ORDINARY INDICATIONS TOO. FUEL SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM THE TWO WING TANKS, AND FIREWALL FUEL-STRAINER ALSO APPEARED NORMAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.