# NTSB ANC94LA067: Cessna 185, N4471R, Kassan Bay, AK, June 8, 1994 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 8, 1994, 14:15 local (22:15 UTC) - Place: Kassan Bay, AK - Coordinates: 55.609283, -131.580657 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=55.6093&lon=-131.5807&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report January 25, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 2511 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC94LA067 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/2511/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC94LA067 ## Probable cause THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE COMPENSATION FOR THE WIND. FACTORS WERE THE ROUGH WATER AND THE GUSTY WIND CONDITION. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Dragged wing,rotor,pod,float or tail/skid, landing - roll - terrain condition - water,rough (contributing factor) - weather condition - gusts (contributing factor) - water loop/swerve - encountered, pilot in command - compensation for wind conditions - inadequate, pilot in command (cause) ## Analysis THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRPLANE PARALLEL TO THE SWELLS AND AS IT SLOWED DOWN, IT WEATHERVANED INTO THE WIND. THE AIRPLANE'S NOSE PITCHED UP AND ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, A GUST OF WIND HIT THE AIRPLANE. THE LEFT WING, THE DOWNWIND WING, STRUCK THE WATER. THE SWELLS WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 1 TO 2 FEET AND THE WIND WAS FROM THE SOUTHEAST AT 10 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 20 KNOTS. ## Factual narrative On June 8, 1994, at 1415 Alaska daylight time, a float equipped Cessna 185 airplane, N4471R, registered to and operated by Taquan Air of Ketchikan, Alaska, dragged a wing in the water during landing at Kassan Bay located 26 nautical miles Northwest of Ketchikan. The air taxi flight, operating under 14 CFR Part 135, departed Ketchikan and the destination was Kassan Bay. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company flight plan was in effect. The commercially certificated pilot and the passenger were not injured and the airplane was substantially damaged. According to the pilot, he was landing the airplane in a crosswind, parallel to the swells. The touchdown was normal and as the pilot reduced the airplane's speed, he began to lose rudder authority. The airplane "weathervaned as it "came off step." As the nose of the airplane pitched up, a normal occurrence, the pilot stated a gust of wind hit the airplane. The downwind wing hit the water. The pilot estimated the winds to be from the southeast at 10 to 15 knots with occasional higher gusts. He estimated the swells to be 1 to 2 feet high. According to a witness standing on the shore, the wind began to blow hard only a half hour before the airplane arrived and continued to gust while the airplane was making its landing attempt. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4471R](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4471R), registered now, S/N 18502964, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 185 - 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: 18502964 - Airframe hours: 12569 - Engines: Continental IO-520D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Part 135 - Operator: Taquan Air - Registered owner: Murray, Carol - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 25, 1994, 47 hours before - Departed: KTN, KETCHIKAN, AK - Flight plan: Company VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 2,500 total, 470 in this make and model, 2,300 as pilot in command, 136 in the last 90 days, 85 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 135° at 10 knots, gusting 20 - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Temperature: 55 °F ## 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 19940608014149A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940608014149A), Jun 8, 1994: Cessna 185, Kassan Bay, AK, Substantial damage. Landing in bay crosswind lined up with swells. Weather vaned coming off step. Wing hit wave. Cartwheeled. ## Other investigations on N4471R (1) 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. - [NTSB ANC97LA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC97LA078), Feb 23, 1997: Cessna 185F (N4471R), Ketchikan, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot allowed an excessive rate of descent to develope during an approach to land, and delayed in initiating a go-around. 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.