- Date
- May 5, 2020, 19:00 local (May 6, 2020, 03:00 UTC)
- Place
- Palmer, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N185SZCessna 185
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20200505005439A
- Case key
- 101303
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to attempt to " water ski" atop a remote river in a wheel-equipped airplane, resulting in a loss of control and a nose over.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that at the time of the accident he was practicing a “water ski” maneuver on the open waters of a remote river in his tailwheel-equipped airplane. The water ski maneuver involves the airplane's main wheels touching the surface of the water while maintaining flying speed. The pilot added that while maintaining about 90 knots indicated airspeed, with the main landing gear wheels “water-skiing” across the surface of the water, he recognized that there was additional drag being placed on the wheels, and the airspeed began to decay. In response, he added engine power, but the airspeed continued to rapidly decay, and the main wheels subsequently settled into the water, and the airplane nosed over, sustaining substantial damage to the wings and engine mounts. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N185SZ
- Reported as
- Cessna 185
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 185-1589
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 4,013.9
- Engine
- Continental IO-550, 300 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 30, 2020 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- AK24 · Chugiak, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 2, 2020
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 555 total · 244 in this make and model · 496 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 60 °F
- Observed at
- PAAQ, 9 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 3, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.