# NTSB ANC05CA004: Cessna 185F, N5001R, King Salmon, AK, October 10, 2004 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report - Date: October 10, 2004, 09:00 local (17:00 UTC) - Place: King Salmon, AK - Coordinates: 58.666667, -156.566665 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=58.6667&lon=-156.5667&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 24, 2005 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 60331 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC05CA004 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/60331/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC05CA004 ## Probable cause The pilot's failure to use a checklist, and to remove the flight control locks prior to flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and in-flight collision with terrain/water. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, takeoff - initial climb - removal of control/gust lock(s) - not performed, pilot in command (cause) - checklist - not used, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled - terrain condition - water ## Analysis The commercial pilot was familiar with the type of accident airplane he was flying, but he was using a friend's float-equipped airplane on a personal fishing trip, and did not have his own checklist with him. He indicated he did not use a checklist list, other than one from memory. He stated that it was the first flight of the morning, and after takeoff from a remote river, the airplane pitched up rapidly, and he could not lower the nose until he reduced power. The airplane then pitched down steeply, and he realized he had left the control lock in the control wheel. He removed the control lock, and was able to raise the nose just before the airplane struck the water, collapsing the floats and damaging the wings and fuselage. The pilot stated that the owner used a non-standard control wheel lock. It was a screwdriver, with the shaft of the screwdriver placed in the hole of the control wheel column. ## Factual narrative On October 10, 2004, about 0900 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 185F airplane, N5001R, operated by Le Conte, LLC, as a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight, sustained substantial damage during an uncontrolled descent and subsequent impact with water, after takeoff from a remote river near King Salmon, Alaska. The commercial pilot received serious injuries; the three passengers reported no injuries. The flight operated in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed for the local flight. During a telephone conversation with the NTSB investigator-in-charge on October 18, the pilot related that the purpose of the flight was to go fishing. He stated that he was very familiar with Cessna 185 airplanes, but the accident airplane was a friend's airplane, and he did not bring his personal checklist with him. He said he relied on memory aids to complete the pretakeoff checklist. He noted that it was the first flight of the morning, and that the cabin was fairly dark in the morning light. He said in preparation for takeoff, he failed to notice that the control wheel lock for the elevator and ailerons had not been removed. He said he was able to get the airplane airborne, but it pitched up and climbed rapidly, and he could not get the nose down due to the locked control wheel. He reduced the power setting, and the nose pitched down. He said he realized the control lock must be place, and he was able to remove the control lock and pitch the nose to a level attitude just before the airplane struck the water. The impact collapsed both floats and damaged the wings and fuselage. The pilot noted that the control lock used by the airplane owner was a non-standard control lock. It was a screwdriver, with the shaft placed through the hole in the control wheel column. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N5001R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5001R), registered now, S/N 18502974, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna 185F - Registry model: [Cessna A185F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185f) (registry code 2072821) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-520 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-520-series) (registry code 17032, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18502974 - Engines: Continental IO-550D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Le Conte, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: King Salmon, AK ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 62; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine sea, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2; flight hours: 8,863 total, 3,590 in this make and model, 8,712 as pilot in command, 66 in the last 90 days, 13 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dawn ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20041010029579A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041010029579A), Oct 10, 2004: Cessna A185F, King Salmon, AK, Substantial damage. (-23) The pilot of the float equipped airplane and his 3 passengers departed a fishing lodge shortly after dawn. The airplane accelerated and came onto the… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.