20160908016999I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Cessna A185F · Port Townsend, WA · September 8, 2016

Date: September 8, 2016 · 16:00 local
Place: Port Townsend, WA
Airport: Port Townsend
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N73EK
Reported as: Cessna A-185F
Reported engine: Continental IO-520-D
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N73EKRegistered now · Cessna A185FS/N 18503464 · Built 1978 Airframe modelCessna A185F Engine modelContinental IO-520-DReciprocating

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.

Pilot observed engine surging shortly after takeoff which continued during initial climbout. Subsequently the engine stopped completely. Pilot then prepared amphibious aircraft for water landing and landed without accident or injury. Shortly after the emergency landing a certificated mechanic tried to restart the engine while it was on the water but could not get the engine to restart. Further inspection of the engine revealed that the number one cylinder had a catastrophic failure. Engine oil analysis shows significant metal particulate in the oil system.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT OBSERVED ENGINE SURGING SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF WHICH CONTINUED DURING INITIAL CLIMBOUT. SUBSEQUENTLY THE ENGINE STOPPED COMPLETELY. PILOT THEN PREPARED AMPHIBIOUS AIRCRAFT FOR WATER LANDING AND LANDED WITHOUT ACCIDENT OR INJURY. SHORTLY AFTER THE EMERGENCY LANDING A CERTIFICATED MECHANIC TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE WHILE IT WAS ON THE WATER BUT COULD NOT GET THE ENGINE TO RESTART. FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. ENGINE OIL ANALYSIS SHOWS SIGNIFICANT METAL PARTICULATE IN THE OIL SYSTEM.