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20240814012729A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Cessna A185E · Eveleth, MN · August 14, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 14, 2024 · 16:30 local
Place
Eveleth, MN
Airport
Sky Harbor
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2248T
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN24LA316
Reported as
Cessna A185E
Reported engine
Continental IO-520 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
2,350 total
N2248TRegistration cancelled Jul 11, 2026 · Cessna A185ES/N 185-1406 · Built 1968Airframe 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.

PIC departed seaplane base by water taxing across the lake for take off into the wind. Engine lost power just after takeoff from lake. Aircraft was approximately 75 feet off the water with not enough room for a water landing. The PIC chose to make an emergency landing in the grass at the seaplane base. The aircraft impacted a grassy area between hangars at the seaplane base. The support struts for the floats collapsed resulting in the propeller striking the floats and substantial damage to the fuselage. A post-accident exam was performed at the aircraft recovery storage location. The engine remained attached to the fuselage. Fuel was plumbed into the engine from the left-wing root fuel pickup, the engine started, idled, and accelerated without hesitation. Both magnetos were checked with about a 60 RPM drop on each. The engine was shut down and no anomalies were noted during the engine run. The wings were drained of fuel by the recovery company and collected into a container. About 30 gallons of fuel consistent with 100 low lead aviation fuel was collected. A visual examination of the collection tank revealed about 1 gallon of water in the bottom of the tank.

As the FAA filed it

PIC DEPARTED SEAPLANE BASE BY WATER TAXING ACROSS THE LAKE FOR TAKE OFF INTO THE WIND. ENGINE LOST POWER JUST AFTER TAKEOFF FROM LAKE. AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 75 FEET OFF THE WATER WITH NOT ENOUGH ROOM FOR A WATER LANDING. THE PIC CHOSE TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN THE GRASS AT THE SEAPLANE BASE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A GRASSY AREA BETWEEN HANGARS AT THE SEAPLANE BASE. THE SUPPORT STRUTS FOR THE FLOATS COLLAPSED RESULTING IN THE PROPELLER STRIKING THE FLOATS AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE. A POST-ACCIDENT EXAM WAS PERFORMED AT THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERY STORAGE LOCATION. THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE FUSELAGE. FUEL WAS PLUMBED INTO THE ENGINE FROM THE LEFT-WING ROOT FUEL PICKUP, THE ENGINE STARTED, IDLED, AND ACCELERATED WITHOUT HESITATION. BOTH MAGNETOS WERE CHECKED WITH ABOUT A 60 RPM DROP ON EACH. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND NO ANOMALIES WERE NOTED DURING THE ENGINE RUN. THE WINGS WERE DRAINED OF FUEL BY THE RECOVERY COMPANY AND COLLECTED INTO A CONTAINER. ABOUT 30 GALLONS OF FUEL CONSISTENT WITH 100 LOW LEAD AVIATION FUEL WAS COLLECTED. A VISUAL EXAMINATION OF THE COLLECTION TANK REVEALED ABOUT 1 GALLON OF WATER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK.

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 CEN24LA316Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportEveleth, MNWater contamination of the fuel system which resulted in a total loss of engine power. Contributing was the pilot’s inadequate preflight.Aug 14, 2024 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2248T · 2

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

Accident 20010707038579ACantwell, AK(-23) The student pilot was flying his own float-equipped airplane, as a flight of two airplanes, on a cross-country flight from anchorage, Alaska to fairbanks, Alaska. While in the Cantwell area the second aircraft pilot by the student's instructor smelled a…Jul 7, 2001 · No damageIncident 19860501040129IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Kodiak, AKAircraft veered during downwind landing and wing contacted the runway.May 1, 1986 · Minor damage