# NTSB ANC99FA070: Cessna A185F, N61609, Soldotna, AK, June 5, 1999 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: June 5, 1999, 10:35 local (18:35 UTC) - Place: Soldotna, AK - Coordinates: 60.319423, -150.789413 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.3194&lon=-150.7894&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 3 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 21, 2000 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 46561 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC99FA070 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/46561/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC99FA070 ## Probable cause The improper recovery from a bounced water landing by the pilot. Factors associated with this accident were the pilot's failure to release his seatbelt due to the obstructed location of the pilot's seatbelt buckle. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Hard landing, landing - flare/touchdown - recovery from bounced landing - improper, pilot in command (cause) - use of inappropriate medication/drug, pilot in command - Nose over, landing - roll - misc eqpt/furnishings,seat belt - obstructed (contributing factor) - seat belt - not removed, pilot in command (contributing factor) ## Analysis The private pilot was landing the float equipped airplane on choppy water with a left-quartering headwind of 10 knots. The airplane landed hard on the left float, bounced into the air, and landed on the right float. The right wing contacted the water, and the airplane nosed over, coming to rest with the left wing submerged and the right wing pointed into the air. The three passengers on board released their seatbelts, and exited the right cabin door. Both the pilot and the right-front seat passenger were unable to locate, release, or cut the pilot's seatbelt. The pilot was described by one passenger as 'awake, and alert, and fully cognizant of the situation; able to cooperate but unable to complete the task for whatever reason.' The airplane slowly rolled inverted and remained afloat. The passengers, and a rescuer from shore, were unable to open the pilot's locked door, or remain submerged in the 40 degree Fahrenheit water. The diver who removed the pilot told the NTSB investigator-in-charge that when he released the pilot's seatbelt, the pilot was removed without difficulty. Postaccident inspection by the IIC revealed that once unlocked, the door could be opened normally. Reaching the pilot's door handle required the occupant to twist his torso to the left, and reach behind his shoulder. The pilot's seatbelt release buckle could be opened with one hand and less than 10 pounds of force. The pilot's buckle was located aft of his left hip, and sandwiched between the left door and the seat. With the door closed, the seatbelt buckle was masked under the door armrest. The Cessna inertial reel, seatbelt/shoulder harness assembly was installed according to the manufacturer's specifications. FAA Advisory Circular AC-21-34 states in part: 'A proper installation geometry for the diagonal shoulder harness positions the shoulder belt so that it passes over the midpoint of the shoulder, with the lower end fastened well to the side of the occupant's hip.' Toxicology tests revealed the presence of phentermine, a prescription stimulant, similar to amphetamines, was present in the pilot's blood and urine. No record of a prescription was found. The pilot was a pharmacist. The Physician's Desk Reference contains the following contraindications regarding phentermine: '...agitated states...phentermine hydrochloride may impair the ability of the patient to engage in potentially hazardous activities such as operating a motor vehicle; ...Caution is to be exercised in prescribing...for patients with even mild hypertension.' ## Factual narrative HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 5, 1999, at 1035 Alaska daylight time, a Cessna A185F float equipped airplane, N61609, sustained substantial damage during landing on Longmare Lake, about four miles east of Soldotna, Alaska. The private pilot was fatally injured. The three passengers on board were not injured. The business flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 to a friend's house on Longmare Lake. The flight departed from the pilot's home on Campbell Lake, Anchorage, Alaska, about 1000. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The three passengers, and two witnesses who observed the accident from the shoreline, were interviewed by the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) at the scene on June 5, about 1330. All five persons said the airplane landed in a northerly direction, into a left-quartering headwind of about 10 knots, with light chop on the water surface. The witnesses said the airplane landed hard on the left float, and bounced into the air. The airplane then landed on the right float, the right wingtip contacted the water, and the airplane nosed over. The airplane came to rest with the left wing submerged and the right wing pointing into the air. The passengers stated that after the airplane came to rest, they released their seatbelts, and escaped through the right side door. They said the pilot remained in his seat, and commented to the passengers that he could not find the buckle to release his seatbelt. They related that the airplane cabin slowly filled with water, sank nose down, and rolled left. Both the pilot, and the right-front seat passenger attempted to cut the pilot's seatbelt, but could not locate it before the airplane rolled inverted. Attempts to open the pilot's door from the outside were unsuccessful. Attempts by two of the passengers, and one witness from shore, to submerge themselves in the 40 degree Fahrenheit water to rescue the pilot were also unsuccessful. INJURIES TO PERSONS None of the passengers were injured during the accident sequence. The two rear seat occupants told the IIC they received bruises during their egress through the right cabin door. All three passengers were immersed in 40 degree Fahrenheit water, and became hypothermic. The passengers stated to the IIC that the pilot appeared uninjured after the accident, although an autopsy performed on the pilot revealed a fracture of the right pelvis, sternum, and one fractured rib. It could not be determined if these injuries were sustained during the impact sequence, or resuscitative efforts. The passenger seated in the right-front seat, who is a medical doctor, said "the pilot was awake, and alert, and fully cognizant of the situation; able to cooperate but unable to complete the task for whatever reason." The pilot was talking to the passengers as the airplane began to roll to the left and fill with water. They described him as initially agitated, and angry at having damaged his airplane during the landing. DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The cabin and fuselage were undamaged. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Pilot: The pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for single-engine land and sea airplanes. He did not hold an instrument rating. His third class medical certificate, issued on October 30, 1998, contained the restriction that he "shall have available glasses for near vision." According to the pilot's logbook, he had accumulated 2,156 hours of total flight experience at the time of the accident. The IIC was able to verify about 80 hours of flight experience in Cessna 185 airplanes. In the previous 90 days, the pilot had flown 15 hours. In the previous 30 days, he had flown 2 hours. The pilot flew the airplane from the Lake Hood Seaplane Base, Anchorage, to Campbell Lake, on May 30. According to the pilot's wife, he performed three or four takeoffs and landings during this flight. The pilot's most recent previous flight in a float equipped airplane was October 9, 1998. His most recent biennial flight review was conducted on March 29, 1999, in a Piper PA-18 airplane configured with skis. The night prior to the accident, the pilot went to bed about 2030. On the day of the accident, the passengers arrived at the pilot's house about 0830. They told the IIC that the pilot was awake and having coffee when they arrived. The pilot was a pharmacist, and occasionally used his airplane to travel on business. He was described as physically active, was 5 feet 10 inches tall, and weighed 201 pounds at the time of the accident. His most recent aviation medical examination indicated his weight to be 211 pounds on October 30, 1998. Passengers: The pilot-rated passenger seated in the right-front seat is a medical doctor, and was a friend of the pilot. He was traveling to Soldotna to visit a patient, and agreed to share costs with the pilot, who was also going to visit a customer. He holds a commercial pilot certificate in single-engine land and sea airplanes, and had accumulated about 5,000 hours of flight experience at the time of the accident. The passenger seated in the right-rear seat is a registered nurse who was traveling with the doctor, her employer. The pilot-rated passenger seated in the left-rear seat was the brother-in-law of the front-seat passenger. He is a private pilot with about 300 hours of flight experience, and is an airframe and powerplant mechanic with an inspection authorization. AIRCRAFT INFORMATION The airplane was a 1981 Cessna A185F. It was equipped with EDO 628-2960 floats, and a Teledyne Continental Motors, IO-550-D3B engine. The engine was configured with a Hartzell PHC-C-3YF-11RF three-bladed propeller. The engine/propeller combination was installed under Bonaire Aviation Company Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) number SA2933SO. According to the most recent aircraft logbook entries, the airplane had accumulated approximately 1610 hours of total time at the time of the accident. A review of the airplane's logbook revealed that a zero time Hobbs meter was installed at 350 hours, but total airframe time did not reflect this change. The actual total time on the airframe at the time of the accident was 1,960 hours. The most recent annual inspection was completed on May 28, 1999, one hour prior to the accident. The airplane had wheels removed, and floats installed, during the annual inspection. Plus 350 for an unaccounted Hobbs change. The airplane was rebuilt between an accident on August 19, 1996, and its return to service on April 8, 1998. During this rebuild, the original fuselage aft of station 65.33 was joined to a section of fuselage forward of station 65.33 from an unknown model Cessna 185. The right wing of an unknown model Cessna 185 was also attached. The data plate from the original airplane was removed from the damaged forward section, and installed on the front door post of the added fuselage section, using blind, hollow rivets. The airplane was equipped with a Robertson Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) kit, installed under STC number SA1441WE. The two front seats were a combination of Cessna front seat assemblies, part numbers 0714025 (infinitely adjustable seats) and 0714024-15 (standard seat for this serial number). The airplane was equipped with Cessna inertial reel shoulder harness assemblies, part number S2199-19, installed for the front seat occupants. According to a lien filed against the airplane, the seatbelts were installed on June 11, 1986. The female end of the pilot's lap belt had a data tag identifying the belt as Pacific Scientific assembly 1107061. The female end of the pilot's lap belt attached to the floor structure, outboard of the seat. The female belt end remained in a fixed position, regardless of the fore and aft positioning of the seat. The belt webbing was repl ## Aircraft - Registration: [N61609](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N61609), registered now, S/N 18504235, built 1981 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Cessna A185F - Registry model: [Cessna A185F](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-a185f) (registry code 2072821) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-550 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-550-series) (registry code 17042, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 18504235 - Airframe hours: 1960 - Engines: Continental IO-550-D3B 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Registered owner: Lawrence A. Smith - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 28, 1999, 1 hours before - Departed: CAMPBELL LAKE, AK - Destination: LONGMARE LAKE, AK - Airport: Longmare Lake, runway 35, 5,000 × 0 ft, water ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 56; private; airplane ratings: single-engine sea, single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 2,156 total, 80 in this make and model, 2,100 as pilot in command, 15 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 350° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 59 °F, dew point 27 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: ODT, 4 nm away ## 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 19990605006489A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990605006489A), Jun 5, 1999: Cessna A185F, Soldotna, AK, Substantial damage, 1 fatal. Acft crashed on landing and sustained substantial damage, the pilot suffered fatal injuries, no injuries were reported to the 3 pax, other circumstances are… ## Other investigations on N61609 (3) 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 WPR11CA406](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11CA406), Aug 21, 2011: Cessna A185F (N61609), Polson, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing. - [NTSB ANC04LA090](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC04LA090), Aug 8, 2004: Cessna 185F (N61609), Wasilla, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to compensate for a crosswind during landing and his failure to maintain directional control, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with a ditch. A factor contributing… - [NTSB FTW96LA351](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW96LA351), Aug 19, 1996: Cessna A185F (N61609), Midland, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of the pilot to obtain or maintain adequate airspeed, by allowing the airplane to enter an excessive nose high attitude and an excessive rate of climb after takeoff, which resulted in an… 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.