20170708011479A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 210B · Bettles, AK · July 8, 2017

Date: July 8, 2017 · 11:00 local
Place: Bettles, AK
Airport: Wild Lake
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N9664X
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA17CA474
Reported as: Cessna 210B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,612 total509 in this make and model82 in the last 90 days

N9664XRegistration cancelled Oct 23, 2018 · Cessna 210BS/N 21057964 · Built 1962 Airframe modelCessna 210B Engine modelContinental I0-470 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.

Pilot took off from Bettles in the Cessna 210 en route to Wild Lake and was alone in the aircraft. The airstrip at Wild Lake is a very small narrow landing strip along the lake shore. Pilot landed short of the airstrip and touched down into the lake. He said with the reflection on the lake and sun he had a "mirage" effect and thought he was higher than he actually was. He was able to get out of the aircraft and swim to shore. The aircraft sank into the lake in approximately 500 feet of water. The aircraft is probably unrecoverable.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT TOOK OFF FROM BETTLES IN THE CESSNA 210 EN ROUTE TO WILD LAKE AND WAS ALONE IN THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRSTRIP AT WILD LAKE IS A VERY SMALL NARROW LANDING STRIP ALONG THE LAKE SHORE. PILOT LANDED SHORT OF THE AIRSTRIP AND TOUCHED DOWN INTO THE LAKE. HE SAID WITH THE REFLECTION ON THE LAKE AND SUN HE HAD A "MIRAGE" EFFECT AND THOUGHT HE WAS HIGHER THAN HE ACTUALLY WAS. HE WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SWIM TO SHORE. THE AIRCRAFT SANK INTO THE LAKE IN APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET OF WATER. THE AIRCRAFT IS PROBABLY UNRECOVERABLE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA17CA474Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportBettles, AKThe pilot's failure to maintain an appropriate glidepath during the approach to the runway over glassy water and in glaring sun conditions.Jul 8, 2017 · Destroyed

Other reports on N9664X · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20000219002979ILevel Off Touchdown · Visalia, CAMr. Charles howard tarski, a private pilot, was acting as pilot in command of a Cessna 210B, N9664X, on 2-19-2000, departing willows-glennco (wlw), willows, CA, to Visalia muni, Visalia, CA, when he landed gear up on runway 30 at the Visalia muni airport,…Feb 19, 2000 · Minor damage