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20130817016919I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna A185F · Canandaigua, NY · August 17, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 17, 2013 · 09:31 local
Place
Canandaigua, NY
Airport
Canandaigua Lake
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N185SB
Reported as
Cessna A185F
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
345 total100 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days
N185SBRegistered now · Cessna A185FS/N 18503939 · Built 1980Airframe modelCessna A185FEngine 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.

Amphibious aircraft departed Canandaigua airport in a.m. and flew to Canandaigua Lake where it landed on the water succesfully. After about 5 minutes the aircraft took off and flew for about an hour and returned to lake for successful water landing. After 5-7 minutes aircraft attempted to takeoff, got up on step, but pilot noticed airspeed only 55 knots, and left float was almost submerged. Pilot aborted takeoff, nose of aircraft dropped and prop struck water whereupon the entire aircraft flipped longitudinally tail over nose, coming to rest on the water surface upside down and underwater suspended by the floats. Pilot was able to free himself and swim out and was recovered by nearby boat. No injuries. Damage to aircraft as a result of the incident was minor, but substantial damamge occurred during the recovery of the aircraft from the water and placement on a barge, and later onto the shoreline. After the first successful takeoff from water and flight, pilot did not notice any imbalance or control issues. Pilot stated the floats were pumped out prior to first flight. A&P mechanic on scene stated after incident, floats were pumped out, aircraft was set back in water and the left float immediately took on water.

As the FAA filed it

AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT DEPARTED CANANDAIGUA AIRPORT IN A.M. AND FLEW TO CANANDAIGUA LAKE WHERE IT LANDED ON THE WATER SUCCESFULLY. AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND FLEW FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND RETURNED TO LAKE FOR SUCCESSFUL WATER LANDING. AFTER 5-7 MINUTES AIRCRAFT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF, GOT UP ON STEP, BUT PILOT NOTICED AIRSPEED ONLY 55 KNOTS, AND LEFT FLOAT WAS ALMOST SUBMERGED. PILOT ABORTED TAKEOFF, NOSE OF AIRCRAFT DROPPED AND PROP STRUCK WATER WHEREUPON THE ENTIRE AIRCRAFT FLIPPED LONGITUDINALLY TAIL OVER NOSE, COMING TO REST ON THE WATER SURFACE UPSIDE DOWN AND UNDERWATER SUSPENDED BY THE FLOATS. PILOT WAS ABLE TO FREE HIMSELF AND SWIM OUT AND WAS RECOVERED BY NEARBY BOAT. NO INJURIES. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT WAS MINOR, BUT SUBSTANTIAL DAMAMGE OCCURRED DURING THE RECOVERY OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE WATER AND PLACEMENT ON A BARGE, AND LATER ONTO THE SHORELINE. AFTER THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL TAKEOFF FROM WATER AND FLIGHT, PILOT DID NOT NOTICE ANY IMBALANCE OR CONTROL ISSUES. PILOT STATED THE FLOATS WERE PUMPED OUT PRIOR TO FIRST FLIGHT. A&P MECHANIC ON SCENE STATED AFTER INCIDENT, FLOATS WERE PUMPED OUT, AIRCRAFT WAS SET BACK IN WATER AND THE LEFT FLOAT IMMEDIATELY TOOK ON WATER.