ANC11LA068

The pilot reported he was on an over-water leg of a cross-country flight, when the engine went to low idle rpm. Unable to restore sufficient power to remain airborne, he landed the float-equipped airplane in large ocean swells, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage. The airplane landed hard, and the floats separated from the airplane. The airplane sank, and was not recovered. It is unknown what precipitated the loss of engine power.

On July 24, 2011, about 1800 Alaska daylight time, a float-equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N9852X, sustained substantial damage to the fuselage during a hard landing in ocean swells, about 22 miles southwest of Kenai, Alaska. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal cross-country flight, under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 91, when the accident occurred. The pilot and the three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Bear Lake, Alaska about 1630, bound for Kenai. During a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC) on July 24, the pilot said while in cruise flight about 3000 feet above the waters of the Cook Inlet, the airplane's engine went to idle. He said he attempted to restore power, but was not successful, and he attempted a landing in Cook Inlet. The pilot said there were 6 foot high swells, and the airplane bounced off the first swell, and dove into the next. He said the floats tore loose from the fuselage, and the airplane impacted the water. The occupants of the airplane were wearing personal flotation devices, and exited the airplane. The pilot said after being rescued, only the tail of the airplane remained above the water, about 5 miles from shore. No efforts were made to save the airplane, and the wreckage has not been recovered. He said prior to the accident, there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane.