What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Cessna 180, N180GK (floatplane)
On 9/19/2014, at approximately 17:30, pilot privacy data omitted departed mud pond (Near chamberlain lake) with a friend. They flew to the Clayton lake area and after about 40 ? 45 minutes they were at 2500 ft. altitude and 4 miles north of lake ross. They first heard a slight squeal and then the engine started to sputter. A short time later, they were at 1500 ft AGL when the engine and prop completely stopped. He could not make the lake but he saw a dirt road to the left. As he turned to land on the road, the right wing clipped a 60 ft tree, they hit hard on the floats (somewhat sideways) and slid into the ditch beside the dirt road. The pilot was shaken but relatively uninjured. The passenger hit his head and was bleeding from a 2 inch gash on his head. They could see & smell fuel, so they immediately climbed out of the aircraft.
The crash scene is located Near claton lake, ME. In T10 R15 wels, lat N46-33-03.02, long W69-41-05.13, a few miles north of ross lake which is a very remote location in north western Maine. The Maine warden service was the first to arrive at the scene and made arrangements to transport both men to the closest hospital in millinocket (2 hours away, over 90 miles of dirt/shale roads). Both men were examined, treated as necessary and released the same day. The warden noticed fuel dripping from the aircraft and estimated there were at least 20 gallons of fuel onboard. He also noted the prop was straight and relatively undamaged indicating no engine power/rotation on impact.
State police described the aircraft as destroyed with the floats crushed under the fuselage, both wings damaged, aft fuselage buckled and the cockpit/passenger area damaged but relatively intact. Their on-scene analysis was; right wing clipped a tree (60 feet above ground), floats then impacted road (60FT from tree) and slid into ditch (it is approximately 150 ft from the tree to where aircraft came to rest).
Subsequent investigation revealed the #3 cylinder exhaust valve failed causing large hole in #3 piston. NTSB is having engine sent to Continental for further evaluation. Engine had 605 hours since factory reman.
As the FAA filed it
CESSNA 180, N180GK (FLOATPLANE)
ON 9/19/2014, AT APPROXIMATELY 17:30, PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED MUD POND (NEAR CHAMBERLAIN LAKE) WITH A FRIEND. THEY FLEW TO THE CLAYTON LAKE AREA AND AFTER ABOUT 40 ? 45 MINUTES THEY WERE AT 2500 FT. ALTITUDE AND 4 MILES NORTH OF LAKE ROSS. THEY FIRST HEARD A SLIGHT SQUEAL AND THEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO SPUTTER. A SHORT TIME LATER, THEY WERE AT 1500 FT AGL WHEN THE ENGINE AND PROP COMPLETELY STOPPED. HE COULD NOT MAKE THE LAKE BUT HE SAW A DIRT ROAD TO THE LEFT. AS HE TURNED TO LAND ON THE ROAD, THE RIGHT WING CLIPPED A 60 FT TREE, THEY HIT HARD ON THE FLOATS (SOMEWHAT SIDEWAYS) AND SLID INTO THE DITCH BESIDE THE DIRT ROAD. THE PILOT WAS SHAKEN BUT RELATIVELY UNINJURED. THE PASSENGER HIT HIS HEAD AND WAS BLEEDING FROM A 2 INCH GASH ON HIS HEAD. THEY COULD SEE & SMELL FUEL, SO THEY IMMEDIATELY CLIMBED OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.
THE CRASH SCENE IS LOCATED NEAR CLATON LAKE, ME. IN T10 R15 WELS, LAT N46-33-03.02, LONG W69-41-05.13, A FEW MILES NORTH OF ROSS LAKE WHICH IS A VERY REMOTE LOCATION IN NORTH WESTERN MAINE. THE MAINE WARDEN SERVICE WAS THE FIRST TO ARRIVE AT THE SCENE AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO TRANSPORT BOTH MEN TO THE CLOSEST HOSPITAL IN MILLINOCKET (2 HOURS AWAY, OVER 90 MILES OF DIRT/SHALE ROADS). BOTH MEN WERE EXAMINED, TREATED AS NECESSARY AND RELEASED THE SAME DAY. THE WARDEN NOTICED FUEL DRIPPING FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND ESTIMATED THERE WERE AT LEAST 20 GALLONS OF FUEL ONBOARD. HE ALSO NOTED THE PROP WAS STRAIGHT AND RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED INDICATING NO ENGINE POWER/ROTATION ON IMPACT.
STATE POLICE DESCRIBED THE AIRCRAFT AS DESTROYED WITH THE FLOATS CRUSHED UNDER THE FUSELAGE, BOTH WINGS DAMAGED, AFT FUSELAGE BUCKLED AND THE COCKPIT/PASSENGER AREA DAMAGED BUT RELATIVELY INTACT. THEIR ON-SCENE ANALYSIS WAS; RIGHT WING CLIPPED A TREE (60 FEET ABOVE GROUND), FLOATS THEN IMPACTED ROAD (60FT FROM TREE) AND SLID INTO DITCH (IT IS APPROXIMATELY 150 FT FROM THE TREE TO WHERE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST).
SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE #3 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE FAILED CAUSING LARGE HOLE IN #3 PISTON. NTSB IS HAVING ENGINE SENT TO CONTINENTAL FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. ENGINE HAD 605 HOURS SINCE FACTORY REMAN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.