- Date
- February 19, 1992, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pelican, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4948QCessna 185F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19920219003169A
- Case key
- 5693
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 inadequate visual lookout during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the glare from the sun.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During takeoff, and when at approximately 10 to 15 feet above the water the float plane collided with a channel marker. The pilot said he did not see the marker until the impact. The pilot and witnesses said that the takeoff was made directly into the sun.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4948Q
- Reported as
- Cessna 185F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18503583
- Airframe hours
- 12,026
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Bellair, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Bellair, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 15, 1992 · 20 hours before
- Destination
- SIT · Sitka, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PEC · Pelican Seaplane Base
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
- 44
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 10,796 total · 500 in this make and model · 8,200 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 56 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 18 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4948Q · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.