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20200430004969A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna A185E · East Bethel, MN · April 30, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
April 30, 2020 · 14:00 local
Place
East Bethel, MN
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N1669M
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN20CA164
Reported as
Cessna A185E
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,823 total1,238 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days
N1669MRegistered now · Cessna A185ES/N 18501861 · Built 1971Airframe modelCessna A185EEngine 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.

2020-04-30 N1669M C185 amphib inverted in coon lake.

The PIC departed kane airport that VMC day with the intent to practice some instrument approaches. After shooting his first approach to kcbg, the pilot went missed and entered the VFR pattern for a full stop. His fuel flow indications were not normal, so he made the decision to land and shutdown to dip the tanks. Fuel level was normal. Pilot departed for his home field kane with the intent of a full stop.

The travel distance was 30 miles, about halfway, while up tower frequency the pilot was advised that all traffic standby as kane was performing a rwy change to rwy 36 for winds. Winds were now nw at around 8 KTS. With this delay the pilot looked down and to his east/left and saw coon lake, with calm waters. On the fly he decided to perform a water landing. He did not take any extra time to set up, but rather made a left turn to left base and ran through his standard "gump" check. He does not remember lowering the landing gear. The same acronym "gump" is used for water and land landings. His plan was to do a stop and go. The lake landing area was clear and the lineup was looking good.

Upon touchdown there was a violent action forward. The landing gear wheels were down and locked. The airplane went nose into the water, the prop hub ripped free of the bolts departing on impact. The airplane violently continued inverted, the pilot reporting his memory was water; waste/chest/face no delay. The PIC had made a practice every time getting out of the plane to run his hand along the left seat edge and guide it by feel to the handle, he did the same thing on this day, and unlocked and unlatched the door. His glasses were gone, but pulled himself out in a "snaking" fashion, smoothly all by feel. PIC stated he was on his last air hitting the surface. A few minutes later a witness in a boat picked him up. Water temperature was 56 degrees.

As the FAA filed it

2020-04-30 N1669M C185 AMPHIB INVERTED IN COON LAKE.

THE PIC DEPARTED KANE AIRPORT THAT VMC DAY WITH THE INTENT TO PRACTICE SOME INSTRUMENT APPROACHES. AFTER SHOOTING HIS FIRST APPROACH TO KCBG, THE PILOT WENT MISSED AND ENTERED THE VFR PATTERN FOR A FULL STOP. HIS FUEL FLOW INDICATIONS WERE NOT NORMAL, SO HE MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AND SHUTDOWN TO DIP THE TANKS. FUEL LEVEL WAS NORMAL. PILOT DEPARTED FOR HIS HOME FIELD KANE WITH THE INTENT OF A FULL STOP.

THE TRAVEL DISTANCE WAS 30 MILES, ABOUT HALFWAY, WHILE UP TOWER FREQUENCY THE PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT ALL TRAFFIC STANDBY AS KANE WAS PERFORMING A RWY CHANGE TO RWY 36 FOR WINDS. WINDS WERE NOW NW AT AROUND 8 KTS. WITH THIS DELAY THE PILOT LOOKED DOWN AND TO HIS EAST/LEFT AND SAW COON LAKE, WITH CALM WATERS. ON THE FLY HE DECIDED TO PERFORM A WATER LANDING. HE DID NOT TAKE ANY EXTRA TIME TO SET UP, BUT RATHER MADE A LEFT TURN TO LEFT BASE AND RAN THROUGH HIS STANDARD "GUMP" CHECK. HE DOES NOT REMEMBER LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. THE SAME ACRONYM "GUMP" IS USED FOR WATER AND LAND LANDINGS. HIS PLAN WAS TO DO A STOP AND GO. THE LAKE LANDING AREA WAS CLEAR AND THE LINEUP WAS LOOKING GOOD.

UPON TOUCHDOWN THERE WAS A VIOLENT ACTION FORWARD. THE LANDING GEAR WHEELS WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. THE AIRPLANE WENT NOSE INTO THE WATER, THE PROP HUB RIPPED FREE OF THE BOLTS DEPARTING ON IMPACT. THE AIRPLANE VIOLENTLY CONTINUED INVERTED, THE PILOT REPORTING HIS MEMORY WAS WATER; WASTE/CHEST/FACE NO DELAY. THE PIC HAD MADE A PRACTICE EVERY TIME GETTING OUT OF THE PLANE TO RUN HIS HAND ALONG THE LEFT SEAT EDGE AND GUIDE IT BY FEEL TO THE HANDLE, HE DID THE SAME THING ON THIS DAY, AND UNLOCKED AND UNLATCHED THE DOOR. HIS GLASSES WERE GONE, BUT PULLED HIMSELF OUT IN A "SNAKING" FASHION, SMOOTHLY ALL BY FEEL. PIC STATED HE WAS ON HIS LAST AIR HITTING THE SURFACE. A FEW MINUTES LATER A WITNESS IN A BOAT PICKED HIM UP. WATER TEMPERATURE WAS 56 DEGREES.

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 CEN20CA164Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal reportAnoka, MNThe pilot's inadvertent extension of the landing gear and his subsequent water landing with the wheels extended.Apr 30, 2020 · Substantial damage